China Pledges to Strengthen Cooperation with ASEANChina Wednesday pledged to further strengthen mutual cooperation with ASEAN countries in various fields under the principles of equality and mutual benefit, mutual opening-up, emphasizing practical results, long-term cooperation and common development.The pledge was made by Chinese Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Minister Shi Guangsheng Wednesday when speaking at the on-going second ASEAN Business Summit. He said mutual cooperation in the fields such as trade, investment, science and technology, energy, agriculture, tourism, telecommunications, medicine, environment protection and human resources development could be strengthened under the principles. Shi said developing relationship of neighborliness and mutual trust with ASEAN countries is China's set foreign policy. Over a long period of time, China has always attached importance to the development of economic and trade relations with ASEAN countries, he said, adding in the future, China is willing to continue to make common efforts with ASEAN countries to explore new ways and means for economic and trade cooperation, to bring the bilateral economic and trade relations to a new high. The minister was of the view that trade between China and ASEAN is broad in scope, but there are still great potentials for expanding cooperation. He said China is willing to work together with ASEAN countries to encourage enterprises of both sides to develop efficient and flexible trade means such as barter trade and counter trade to expand bilateral trade. China is willing to promote mutual investment of mutual benefit and strengthen cooperation in the hi-tech area with ASEAN countries, he said. The Chinese minister said China welcomes the ASEAN integration process and is willing to establish closer economic and trade relations with ASEAN Free Trade Area and investment areas. China is willing to make common efforts with ASEAN to promote the process of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation in Asia- Pacific region for maintaining prosperity and stability of the region. The two-day ASEAN Business Summit, organized by the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia and Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute under the auspices of ASEAN Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was officiated by Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi representing Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad who is in Havana to attend the G-77 summit. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. |
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