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Wen says China, ASEAN can rise above differences

Xinhua, October 21, 2011

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Friday that China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) can rise above political, economic, religious, cultural and other differences to move forward in bilateral cooperation towards common prosperity.

Wen made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the eighth China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit being held in the southwestern city of Nanning in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Wen said as long as the two sides act in the spirit of equality, mutual trust and seeking common ground while shelving differences, they can overcome the difficulties and obstacles on the road to progress and move their cooperation forward.

Wen noted Sino-ASEAN relations have witnessed historical progress from all-round dialogue partners to partners of good-neighborliness and mutual trust, to strategic partner since the establishment of dialogue relations 20 years ago, and a framework of all-dimensional, wide-ranging and multi-tiered cooperation has gradually taken shape.

China has every sincerity in advancing its relations with the ASEAN and commits itself to deepening practical bilateral cooperation, and China-ASEAN friendly relations have withstood the test of time and tribulations over the past years, Wen noted.

He said China-ASEAN economic cooperation has never been more dynamic and more fruitful, as China has become the ASEAN's largest trading partner and the ASEAN remains China's third biggest trading partner with an average annual growth rate of more than 20 percent over the past 20 years.

"Facts have shown that China and the ASEAN are both good neighbors sharing weal and woe and good partners for win-win cooperation based on equality and mutual benefit," Wen added.