Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said?in Hanoi?on Saturday that China is ready to work together with other parties to deepen East Asian cooperation on the basis of upholding the established principles and purposes of the East Asia Summit.

Addressing the fifth East Asia Summit, Wen said the East Asia Summit should further promote exchanges and cooperation.

While the leading role of ASEAN must be respected in the process of East Asia integration, efforts are also needed to give play to the role of such existing mechanisms as the summit between China and ASEAN (10+1), the summit between ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea (10+3) and the summit of China, Japan and South Korea, said Premier Wen.

He said China welcomes the participation of Russia and the United States in the East Asia Summit, expressing the hope that the two countries would play a constructive role.

He also proposed the establishment of an East Asia research and cooperation center for climate change, so as to push forward cooperation among East Asian nations in the regard.

The fifth East Asia Summit (EAS) opened here on Saturday, where leaders of ASEAN and six dialogue partners gathered to discuss strategic issues of relevance to the region.

The six dialogue partners include China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were invited to attend this year's EAS as special guests.