Partnership with ASEAN

The initiatives proposed by Premier Wen Jiabao during his meeting with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Monday, once again show China's strong commitment to cultivating ties with the bloc and contributing to East Asia's cooperation and development.

Wen spoke highly of the growth in Sino-ASEAN interaction over the past 15 years, and he called on the two sides to deepen their political, economic, maritime and technological cooperation and to boost people-to-people exchanges. The new proposals include the forging of a China-ASEAN maritime partnership and the building of a common tourist market.

Wen also pledged China will enhance cooperation with regional partners under the framework of 10+3 (ASEAN plus China, Japan and the Republic of Korea) in such fields as finance, trade and connectivity.