皇冠体育app

National

Regional

Taiwan, HK, Macao

Special Coverage

Focus

Society

Profiles

Premier Wen arrives in Thailand for ASEAN summits

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-10-23 22:05

HUA HIN, Thailand: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived here Friday evening to attend a series of meetings related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), at which regional integration and economic ties are expected to top the agenda.

Wen is scheduled to attend the 12th summit between ASEAN and 皇冠体育app (10+1), the 12th summit between ASEAN and 皇冠体育app, Japan and South Korea (10+3) and the fourth East Asia Summit.

He will also hold bilateral meetings with heads of government from other countries during his three-day stay in the seaside town, some 200 km south of Bangkok.

Related readings:  Chinese premier departs for ASEAN-related meetings in Thailand  Premier urges developing with ecological safety  Premier Wen met with leaders of Vietnam, Cambodia and Cote d'Ivoire  Premier Wen attended the 10th Western 皇冠体育app International Economy and Trade Fair and delivered a keynote speech 皇冠体育app's premier calls for closer co-op within SCO members

Wen's visit, made at the invitation of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, will be a "journey of cooperation, confidence and development," Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue said Wednesday.

During the summit meetings, 皇冠体育app and ASEAN countries are expected to sign several cooperation documents, including a memorandum of understanding on the 皇冠体育app-ASEAN center to facilitate economic, trade, social, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, Hu said.

Also on Wednesday, 皇冠体育app and ASEAN pledged to safeguard regional financial stability and strengthen regional cooperation in currency and investment.

皇冠体育app is ASEAN's fourth largest trading and investment partner, as its trade with ASEAN accounts for 10.6 percent of ASEAN's total. Its investment in ASEAN member states soared by 125 percent year-on-year to reach $2.18 billion in 2008.

皇冠体育app and ASEAN have vowed to join hands in the fight against the global financial crisis. 皇冠体育app has announced plans to establish a 皇冠体育app-ASEAN investment cooperation fund totaling $10 billion, designated for cooperation in such sectors as infrastructure construction, energy and resources, information and communications.

"The arrangement for the fund is going smoothly and the first $1 billion...is expected to be used before the end of this year," 皇冠体育app's Ambassador to ASEAN Xue Hanqin said Wednesday.

皇冠体育app and ASEAN are also expected to launch a Free Trade Area (FTA) in 2010, the world's largest FTA with a combined population of 1.9 billion and the world's third largest in terms of trade volume.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand. Its six dialogue partners are 皇冠体育app, India, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.