China's support for ASEAN's centrality lauded

Myanmar highly appreciates China's support for ASEAN's centrality in the evolving regional architecture, and for the ASEAN integration process in building the ASEAN Community by 2015, its President U Thein Sein said on Friday.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the China-ASEAN Expo, U Thein Sein said that it's important for all regional players to work together to promote peace and development in the region, as the Asia-Pacific region has become the center of gravity in international relations and trade.

U Thein Sein is one of the leaders attending the annual event. Leaders from Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia are also present.

Addressing more than 1,000 business leaders attending the ceremony, U Thein Sein also said that ASEAN members are glad to see a healthy economy developing in China and welcome the robust economic partnership with China.

"We wish to see the populations of ASEAN members and China reaping the fruits of the ASEAN-China Free Trade area," he said.

China is ASEAN's largest trade partner since 2009, while ASEAN is China's third-largest trade partner. A balance of trade amounting to $11.0 billion in favor of ASEAN was achieved for the first time in 2011. The foreign direct investment from China in ASEAN member countries increased over 100 percent in 2011 compared with 2010.

"This is a very good trend and we should keep its momentum," said U Thein Sein.

According to U Thein Sein, the market of ASEAN members and China is huge, as the two sides have their own distinguished characteristics and are endowed with natural and human resources.