China pursues a policy of friendship and partnership with
neighbors. Basing its Asia policy on peace, security, cooperation,
and prosperity, China works to promote good-neighborly relations
and regional cooperation. The Chinese government handles sensitive
issues concerning surrounding countries in an appropriate manner
and advances mutually beneficial cooperation with its Asian
neighbors. Supported by Asian countries and the international
community, the Boao Forum for Asia held annually in Hainan Province
of China keeps developing and plays an increasingly significant
role in the process of regional cooperation, and manifests the
Asian peoples' ardent wish to pursue cooperation and win-win. The
theme of the Annual Conference 2004 of the Boao Forum for Asia was
"Asia Searching for Win-win: New Role of Asia."?
The year 2004 witnessed a new phase of China's relations with
ASEAN. In June 2004, the foreign ministers of China and the 10
ASEAN countries held an informal meeting in Qingdao, and agreed to
have their respective permanent representatives to the UN hold
regular consultations. They also reached agreement on the long-term
objective of an East Asian Community for East Asian cooperation
through the 10+3 mechanism (ASEAN+China, Japan and the Republic of
Korea (ROK)) and supported holding an East Asian Summit at an
appropriate time. In July 2004, Chinese Foreign Minister Li
Zhaoxing attended the 10+3 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the ASEAN
Post-Ministerial Conference (PMC), and the ASEAN Regional Forum
(ARF) in Jakarta, Indonesia. At the end of November 2004, Chinese
Premier Wen Jiabao attended the 8th 10+3 Summit, the ASEAN-China
(10+1) Summit, and the 6th China-Japan-ROK Leaders' Meeting in
Vientiane, Laos. Premier Wen Jiabao proposed the basic guideline of
"equality, mutual trust, cooperation, and win-win" for the
long-term development of China-ASEAN relations. During the
meetings, China and ASEAN issued the Action Plan to Implement the
Joint Declaration on China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership for Peace
and Prosperity, and signed documents, such as the Agreement on
Trade in Goods under the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive
Economic Cooperation between China and ASEAN and the Agreement on
China-ASEAN Dispute Settlement Mechanism. In January 2005, Premier
Wen Jiabao attended the Special ASEAN Leaders' Meeting on the
Aftermath of Earthquake and Tsunami, held in Jakarta.