Premier Zhu Spells Out Six-point Proposal on China, ASEAN Cooperation

Premier Zhu Rongji spelled out his six-point proposal on advancing the cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on November 25 in Singapore.

Speaking at the summit between China and the ten ASEAN countries, Zhu said that China attaches importance to ASEAN's role and is committed to developing its partnership of good-neighborliness and mutual trust with ASEAN.

Zhu named the priorities of China-ASEAN cooperation in the near future:

-- to continuously strengthen political cooperation between the two sides;

-- to intensify efforts for human resources development;

-- to strengthen infrastructure building in the Mekong River Basin;

-- to go in for hi-tech cooperation;

-- to deepen agriculture cooperation; and

-- to strengthen trade and investment links.

Zhu said that under the guidance of the spirit enshrined in the China-ASEAN Joint Statement, China is ready to continue its efforts to materialize the framework documents on bilateral cooperation between the two sides and work for further progress in their cooperation in the new century.

Heads of state or government of the ten ASEAN member countries -- Brunei, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore -- attended the summit.

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