China not a target at US-ASEAN meeting, ministry says

China expects the US and ASEAN leaders' meeting will not target China, and that the US will provide candid help to Asian countries, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday when asked about the upcoming US-ASEAN leaders' meeting.

"China is happy to see the United States further develop its relations with ASEAN countries," the ministry's spokesperson Lu Kang said at a daily press briefing.

"Of course we expect the relationship to candidly help with peace, stability and development in the region. And we especially expect to see the US provide some concrete help for sustainable development of countries in the region."

Lu was asked whether Beijing is worried about becoming the target of the US meeting with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that US President Barack Obama will host in California on Feb 15-16.

This is the first time for the US to hold such a meeting with ASEAN countries.

Lu said he has noticed that a high-ranking US official has said the meeting is not targeted at China.

US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Daniel Russel said on Feb 3 that "this summit is not about China. It's about the US and ASEAN".

"This is not about China, this is not anti-China," Russel said. Still, he frequently mentioned the South China Sea issue in the interview with international news agencies.

"We hope that after the meeting, media reports can also verify that it is really not targeted at China," Lu said.