The China-ASEAN Summit, which marks the 15th anniversary of the dialogue relations between the two sides, will reap great results, bringing their strategic partnership to a new development height, for benefits of all related parties, Vietnamese media reported Monday.

 

In the context that China is actively implementing its peaceful rise strategy and making greater contribution to the region and the world, and ASEAN is looking forward to the establishment of the ASEAN Community by 2020, the summit is a suitable for the two sides' leaders to discuss the future of their strategic partnership, People's Army newspaper said in an editorial.

 

The two-day summit slated for opening on Monday in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is believed to approve a joint statement on strengthening the ASEAN-China strategic partnership cooperation.

 

As an active and dynamic member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Vietnam always takes interest in and makes effective contribution to consolidating and developing the ASEAN-China relations.

 

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, during his three-day trip to China starting Monday, is to attend the summit and visit the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. This is a new lively demonstration, which affirms Vietnam's policy on promoting ASEAN-China strategic partnership in a way suitable to the demand and benefit of all related parties, People newspaper said in an editorial.

 

According to Chinese official statistics, trade between China and ASEAN, which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, has grown 20 percent annually over the past 15 years, reaching US$130 billion in 2005.

 

The China-Vietnam trade topped US$8 billion in 2005, making China the largest trading partner of Vietnam.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 30, 2006)