On the afternoon of June 11, 2003, at the invitation of the International Press Center (IPC) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Fu Ying, Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs, MFA, gave a briefing to the overseas correspondents and answered their questions.  

Fu started her briefing by introducing the itinerary of Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing’s upcoming journey. Fu said that at the invitation of the Mr. Hor Namhong, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia, which takes up the current presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing will attend the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the ASEAN, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (10+3), the 10th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference (PMC), the ASEAN-China (10+1) Dialogue, and the second informal meeting of the Foreign Ministers of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, which will be held in Phnom Penh of Cambodia from June 17th to 19th. Li will also attend the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) to be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand from June 21st to 22nd. Minister Li Zhaoxing will also visit the three countries before and after the meetings.

On the 10th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Fu noted that the Chinese side is looking forward to exchanging opinions with related parties on the DPRK nuclear issue, the reconstruction of Iraq, the anti-terrorism issue and the SARS problem. She said that nine years has passed since the ARF was born. All the parties have followed the developing direction of ARF. The Chinese side supports ARF to maintain its nature as a forum, to stick to its existing principles and modes that have been proven effective. At the same time, the Chinese side hopes that ARF will adapt to the new situation and focus its efforts on carrying out dialogues on such non-traditional security issues as anti-terrorism.

On the dialogue between China and ASEAN, Fu said that the Chinese side pays great attention to the dialogue, hoping to promote the China-ASEAN relations and get prepared for the leadership meeting to be held at the end of this year through this meeting. The Chinese side will exchange opinions with ASEAN focusing on the development of bilateral ties of next step and the cooperation between China and ASEAN on the SARS prevention and treatment, in order to further expand and deepen bilateral friendly relations of cooperation.

At Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the ASEAN, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (10+3), Fu also noted that the Chinese side will explain the regional cooperation policy of the Chinese government, formally submit the Concept Paper on Building a Network of East Asian Think-tanks, which is expected to get passed at this meeting and put into enforcement as soon as possible. Before 10+3, foreign ministers of China, Japan and Korea will hold tripartite meeting, the second meeting of them. The three parties will exchange opinions on cooperation in the fields of economy, security and other fields, and coordinate their policies on how to jointly push forward regional cooperation.

On ACD, Fu noted that China will take an active role in participating and supporting the development of ACD. The Chinese side will submit the Concept Paper on Agricultural Cooperation and support the passage of ACD’s Chiang Mai Declaration on the Asian securities market.

Present at the briefing were 53 foreign correspondents and correspondents resident in Hong Kong, together with some press officers of foreign embassies in China. Deputy Director-General Zhang Qiyue of the Information Department of MFA presided over the briefing.