The China-ASEAN Summit will take the bilateral ties to a new level to foster a strong relationship, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said.

 

Syed made the remarks to Malaysian media in Nanning, China, the New Straits Times (NST) reported Monday.

 

The high-level summit, officially to mark the 15th anniversary of the dialogue relationship between China and the ASEAN, will also help the two sides "take up economic opportunities and take advantage of the development in the region," Syed said Sunday.

 

It is also a cornerstone of the Malaysian government's "stand and commitment to move forward trade and cooperation to make the region a prosperous one," said the foreign minister, adding Malaysia wants to see more investments from China and more Chinese tourists arriving at its shores.

 

The selection of Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, as the venue for the commemorative meeting is significant as China plans to make this southern city the gateway for its products and services to ASEAN countries, said Syed.

 

He added, 83 Malaysian companies are participating in the China-ASEAN Expo and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will deliver a keynote address at the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit.

 

With the success of 15 years of close relations behind them, ASEAN and China are expected to chart new grounds at the summit, said the NST report.

 

China was the first non-ASEAN country to sign with ASEAN an agreement for a free trade area and was foremost in establishing strategic relations with the Southeast Asian grouping, noted the report.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 30, 2006)