"East Asian countries should enhance mutual understanding through dialogue and communication. They should also create the conditions for the sound and stable development of regional cooperation and bilateral relations," Hu said.

He also reaffirmed China's support for ASEAN's leading role in East Asian cooperation, saying he hopes the existing cooperation mechanisms serve the overriding goal of regional peace and prosperity.

On the economic and trade cooperation front, Director of the Asian Affairs Department of the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) Lu Kejian said China hopes to work with ASEAN to steadily promote the development of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) while expanding two-way investment.

"We will strengthen communication with ASEAN to ensure the stable development of bilateral trade, especially in the services trade. We will also continue to increase imports from ASEAN countries and boost investment. China welcomes ASEAN companies investing in China and will support Chinese companies to invest in ASEAN countries," he said.

Lu also promised to advance regional and sub-regional cooperation.

Sun Yuanjiang, a deputy director from the MOC's international trade and economic affairs department, said China would discuss with all sides the establishment of an East Asian free trade area while giving full respect to ASEAN's core role.

Deputy Director of the International Department of the Ministry of Finance Chen Shixin pledged that China would join hands with other countries to strengthen and advance regional financial cooperation to enhance the region's capability to withstand financial shocks.

"China will work with other countries to maintain the region's financial stability," said Chen.

On the educational front, Liu Baoli, vice director of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges with the Ministry of Education, said China would work to carry out all-round, multi-level exchange and cooperation in addition to making active efforts to improve exchange and cooperation in education within East Asia.

Within the China-ASEAN framework, China will make a good use of the three exchange weeks and the roundtable meetings for educational ministers as platforms to carry out all-round exchange and cooperation in education with ASEAN member states, said Liu.

In the meantime, China will also make active efforts to work for establishment of a stable system for dialogue and exchange so as to expand educational exchange and cooperation among ASEAN members, Japan, ROK and China.

Within the framework of the East Asia Summit, China will actively support all member states to work out a stable, multilateral system for educational exchange so as to improve competitiveness and influence of the region's education of higher learning in the world, said Liu.