The China-ASEAN Summit, which marks the 15th anniversary of the
dialogue relations between the two sides, will reap great results,
bringing their strategic partnership to a new development height,
for benefits of all related parties, Vietnamese media reported
Monday.
In the context that China is actively implementing its peaceful
rise strategy and making greater contribution to the region and the
world, and ASEAN is looking forward to the establishment of the
ASEAN Community by 2020, the summit is a suitable for the two
sides' leaders to discuss the future of their strategic
partnership, People's Army newspaper said in an
editorial.
The two-day summit slated for opening on Monday in Nanning,
capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is
believed to approve a joint statement on strengthening the
ASEAN-China strategic partnership cooperation.
As an active and dynamic member of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN), Vietnam always takes interest in and makes
effective contribution to consolidating and developing the
ASEAN-China relations.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, during his three-day
trip to China starting Monday, is to attend the summit and visit
the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. This is a new lively
demonstration, which affirms Vietnam's policy on promoting
ASEAN-China strategic partnership in a way suitable to the demand
and benefit of all related parties, People newspaper said in an
editorial.
According to Chinese official statistics, trade between China
and ASEAN, which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
Vietnam, has grown 20 percent annually over the past 15 years,
reaching US$130 billion in 2005.
The China-Vietnam trade topped US$8 billion in 2005, making
China the largest trading partner of Vietnam.
(Xinhua News Agency October 30, 2006)