China remains committed to supporting and participating in East
Asia cooperation and to pursuing a policy of building
good-neighborly relationships and partnerships with its
neighbors.
Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing made the pledge in Kuala Lumpur
yesterday at the 10+3 Ministerial Meeting, also attended by his
counterparts from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN), Japan and South Korea.
China will continue to work with all other countries concerned
to deepen the 10+3 cooperation, which has improved the development
environment in East Asia, enhanced the overall regional strength
and delivered real benefits to all the countries concerned over the
past years, Li said.
The Chinese side supports the 10+3 as the main channel for
building the East Asia Community, to be completed by the East Asia
Summit and other mechanisms, he said.
Li arrived here Tuesday to attend the Ministerial Meeting
between ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea (10+3), ASEAN Post
Ministerial Conferences (PMC) and the 13th ASEAN Regional Forum on
July 26-28.
The Chinese side will actively support and participate in new
10+3 cooperation areas such as women affairs, poverty alleviation
and rural development, disaster reduction and relief and
development of mineral resources, Li said.
ASEAN, established in 1967, now groups Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos,
Myanmar and Cambodia.
The year 2007 will mark the 10th anniversary of the 10+3
cooperation.
(Xinhua News Agency July 27, 2006)
