On June 19, 2003, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing
addressed in the dialogue meeting between China and ASEAN
members (10+1 ) held in Phnom Penh. He said that the
relationship between China and ASEAN had grown rapidly in
the past decade, featuring the establishment of overall
dialogue relations at the very beginning to the forging of
good-neighborly partnership based on mutual trust for the
time being. Li noted that the political mutual trust between
China and ASEAN had consolidated continuously with economic
exchanges closer and cooperation between them more
fruitful.
Referring to the year 2002, Li said
in that year China signed the Framework Agreement on
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation with ASEAN to kick off
free trade negotiations with ASEAN. China issued the Joint
Declaration on Cooperation in the Filed of Non-traditional
Security Issues to open new room for cooperation, and the
Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea
to reach common views on settling disputes peacefully and
conducting cooperation in the Sea while maintaining regional
stability. Li also said that when the Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) began to hit the region in this
April, China and ASEAN held a special meeting of top leaders
and made a series of measures of cooperation, which
manifested their resolution and confidence of jointly
handling the problem with one mind. He said that the
cooperation in all these fields had resulted in real
benefits for both sides and made strategic contribution to
the peace, stability and development for the region and the
world at large.
Li also raised some concrete
proposals and ideas for the further development of overall
cooperation between China and ASEAN. He stressed that the
Chinese government was willing to make joint efforts with
the member countries of ASEAN to enrich cooperation in
various fields continuously and to realize common progress
and mutual development in the fields of politics, economy,
security dialogue and cooperation.
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