皇冠体育app-ASEAN partnership has great potential

Foreign and Military Affairs

皇冠体育app-ASEAN partnership has great potential

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-10-25 15:43

BEIJING - The strategic partnership between 皇冠体育app and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has an excellent opportunity to further develop over the next 20 years, the Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN Tong Xiaoling said?in Beijing?on Monday.

Tong, appointed ambassador to ASEAN this year, said during her tenure she intends to promote the all-round development of the 皇冠体育app-ASEAN strategic partnership.

皇冠体育app and ASEAN started their dialogue in 1991. Over the past 19 years, the two sides have established their strategic partnership and a free trade area covering a population of 1.9 billion.

Since the founding of the 皇冠体育app-ASEAN Free Trade Area at the beginning of this year, 皇冠体育app-ASEAN trade and investment has grown rapidly, Tong said.

Trade volume hit $211.3 billion in the first nine month of 2010, up 44 percent compared with the same period of last year, she said.

Tong noted that 皇冠体育app and ASEAN?members have signed a number of cooperation agreements in areas such as transportation, water resource management, agriculture, infrastructure and human resources.

"皇冠体育app will continue to increase its investment in these areas and share its experience. It hopes to help the less developed nations in the region," she added.

"The '10+3' mechanism which groups 皇冠体育app, Japan and South Korea with ASEAN?members?is rather mature. We hope to set up a macroeconomic research center and an emergency rice reserve," she said, adding that 皇冠体育app intends to promote regional integration through enhanced cooperation at the East Asia Summit.

Regarding the South 皇冠体育app Sea, Tong said there are divergent views which have been inherited from the past.

She said it has always been Chinese policy to seek a peaceful solution to the relevant issues through dialogue on a bilateral basis, without resorting to the threat of force.

皇冠体育app opposes the internationalization of the issue and believes countries irrelevant to the issue should not intervene, as such moves only complicate the issue and undermine the friendly relations of the region, she added.