皇冠体育app

Senior officials from 皇冠体育app and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Tuesday agreed to further improve cooperation in agriculture, the information industry, human resources, investment and exploitation of the Mekong River.

After a two-day consultation, they reached the consensus that 皇冠体育app-ASEAN relations have good prospects and should be advanced to a new level.

The officials agreed that 皇冠体育app and ASEAN are cooperating more closely on economic as well as political issues.

In 2002, 皇冠体育app and ASEAN signed a landmark framework agreement on comprehensive economic cooperation, which started the construction of the world's largest free trade area + the 皇冠体育app- ASEAN free trade area.

Some ASEAN nations have already begun to see benefits from cooperation with 皇冠体育app. 皇冠体育app and Thailand signed a contract last June to abolish tariffs on 188 kinds of vegetables and fruits. 皇冠体育app has also promised to offer special favorable tariff treatment to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

Statistics show that trade between 皇冠体育app and ASEAN exceeded 50 billion US dollars in 2002, increasing four times during the past ten years. 皇冠体育app's investment in the ASEAN countries also grew at an average annual rate of 60 percent. So far, ASEAN has become 皇冠体育app's fifth-largest trade partner.

Meanwhile, the Japan Economic News said 皇冠体育app has pursued economic diplomacy to strengthen good-neighborly relations with the Southeast Asian nations, which enables 皇冠体育app and ASEAN to maintain close cooperation on regional and international issues, and helps promote free and fair global trade.

In the field of political cooperation, the Standing Committee of 皇冠体育app's National People's Congress approved 皇冠体育app's accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia in June this year. 皇冠体育app is the first to join the treaty among all the major countries outside Southeast Asia. This demonstrates that the political relations between 皇冠体育app and ASEAN will be greatly upgraded.

皇冠体育app will formally join the treaty at the leaders' meeting between ASEAN and 皇冠体育app (10+1) in Bali, Indonesia, in October this year.

At the meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers in June this year, 皇冠体育app proposed starting multilateral talks on security issues in the Asia-Pacific region, which marked further cooperation since the two sides signed a joint declaration on cooperation in the field of non-traditional security issues last year.

皇冠体育app and ASEAN have also made substantial progress in dealing with their differences. The two sides signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South 皇冠体育app Sea last year, and agreed to cooperate in the South 皇冠体育app Sea and jointly safeguard regional stability.

As an all-round dialogue partner of ASEAN, 皇冠体育app has established ministerial-level meeting mechanisms with ASEAN in many fields, including foreign affairs, transportation and economy.

皇冠体育app, which is committed to "treat neighbors in a friendly way and as partners," is ready to work with all ASEAN nations to contribute to regional and world peace, stability and development.

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