CHINA / National
Wen urges closer relations with ASEAN countries
By Qin Jize and Sun Shangwu (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-10-31 06:28
NANNING: Premier Wen Jiabao has promised China will push forward
co-operation with its Southeast Asian neighbours.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (C) speaks to Philippine President Gloria
Arroyo (not in picture) during their South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
bilateral meeting at the Liyuan Resort in Nanning, China's southern
Guangxi province. Chinese and Southeast Asian leaders have vowed at a
summit in Nanning to speed up creation of a free trade zone, while also
discussing the North Korean nuclear crisis and regional political
concerns.[AFP]
Wen made the pledge during one-on-one meetings with heads of five members
of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
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The meetings took place ahead of the formal opening of the Commemorative
Summit marking 15 years of China-ASEAN ties in Nanning, capital of the
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
During talks with Philippines President Gloria Arroyo, whose country
holds the ASEAN presidency, Wen said the countries need to push forward a
number of key projects in agriculture, infrastructure construction and
exploration of mineral resources.
Joint exploration
Wen said China, the Philippines and Viet Nam had worked out plans for
more substantive development in the South China Sea region. He said there
has been progress in joint marine resources exploration in the sea.
Arroyo thanked Wen for China's assistance in agriculture, railways,
housing and disaster relief.
She said Manila would like to expand its fruit exports to China, and
called on the two countries to establish a comprehensive economic
partnership at an early date.
During talks with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien-loong, Wen said
China is ready to push forward the relationship between the two countries
in a sustainable, healthy and stable manner.
Lee said Singapore is willing to expand bilateral co-operation with China
and participate actively in China's economic development.
Lee also hoped to increase co-operation on maritime security.
Energy was the main issue when Wen met Indonesian President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono.
Before coming to Nanning, Susilo attended the second Sino-Indonesian
energy forum in Shanghai, during which the two countries signed a
memorandum of understanding on energy and mineral resources co-operation.
Wen said that China and Indonesia could expand the two-way trade in
volume and scale while enhancing co-operation through construction of
railways, bridges and dams in Indonesia. Susilo said he wished to see the
bilateral two-way trade volume reach US$30 billion by 2010.
Gas deal
Co-operation between China and Malaysia showed tangible results, as Wen
and Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi unveiled a liquefied
natural gas (LNG) deal.
Under the agreement, the Malaysian state-owned oil firm Petronas will be
able to enter into the China energy market by supplying Shanghai with up
to 3.03 millions tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) annually for 25
years.
Badawi said energy co-operation is the key component of co-operation
between the two countries, and Malaysia is looking forward to signing
similar deals in the future.
China and Cambodia will work to bring bilateral ties to a new level, Wen
and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen agreed during their meeting
yesterday. Wen said China will encourage more Chinese enterprises to
invest in Cambodia to help the country's sustainable development.
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