Foreign ministers of China and the 10 member states of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) pledged Monday
to deepen and expand their cooperation, said a press release issued
after the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Informal Meeting.
In the economic and scientific field, the ministers agreed that
ASEAN and China should develop their cooperation in agriculture,
information and communication technology, human resources
development, Mekong basin development, mutual investment, public
health and science and technology.
The foreign ministers said they would push for the realization
of the East Asian community through the existing ASEAN plus China,
Japan and the Republic of Korea mechanism.
The ministers also vowed to push for establishment of
ASEAN-China Free Trade Area and ASEAN economic, security and
socio-culture communities to promote common development.
The meeting was co-chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Li
Zhaoxing and Hor Nam Hong, Cambodian minister of foreign affairs
and international cooperation. Ong Keng Yong, secretary-general of
ASEAN, also attended the meeting.
At the meeting, the ministers agreed to regard the Treaty of
Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia as a code of conduct for
state-to-state relations in this region.
The Chinese side reiterated its willingness to sign the Protocol
to the Treaty of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone
(SEANWFZ), for which ASEAN would highly commend China, given
China's status as a Permanent Member of the UN Security
Council.
On issues related to the Korean Peninsula, the ministers
expressed their support for the ongoing efforts towards a
nuclear-weapon-free Korean Peninsula and the ASEAN side commended
China's active and important role in promoting the six-party talks
about the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.
According to the press release, the ministers also agreed that
the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in South China Sea should
be incrementally implemented in an effective way so as to maintain
regional stability and promote cooperation in the South China
Sea.
On the Taiwan issue, the ministers believed that maintaining
peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits conforms to the
common interests of all countries in the region. ASEAN member
countries reaffirmed their commitment to the one-China policy, for
which the Chinese side expressed its appreciation.
The ministers agreed to continue utilizing existing mechanisms
to enhance mutual understanding and expand common ground, which
would go a long way in strengthening China-ASEAN strategic
partnership, the release added.
(Xinhua News Agency June 22, 2004)