China actively promotes ASEAN+3 cooperation
29/9/2005 17:17
China attaches importance to the economic cooperation among the 10-member
ASEAN and its three dialogue partners -- China, Japan and South Korea, and is
ready to promote such cooperation for the regional prosperity, Chinese vice
commerce minister Yu Guangzhou said in Vientiane Thursday.
China treasures
the economic and trade cooperation with members of ASEAN+3 on the basic
principles of equal consultation, win-win relation, gradual development,
openness and harmonization, Yu said after the 8th AEM (ASEAN Economic Ministers)
Plus 3 Consultation and Consultation with the East Asia Business Council
(EABC).
"China is ready to further promote the economic cooperation of East
Asia and contribute to the regional economic development and common prosperity
of East Asian countries," he said.
According to Yu, China put forth at the
meeting a new cooperative project titled "A Seminar for Senior International
Engineering Project Management for ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian
Nations) Countries," which has won support from other delegates.
China has
actively initiated joint projects, including ones on practical technical
training, environmental protection and e- commerce training, he said, adding the
country is also taking the lead in the Joint Expert Group of feasibility study
on the East Asia Free Trade Area (EAFTA).
Recognizing the necessity of the
region's better response to soaring oil price and oil supply disruption, the
ministers during the consultation suggested cooperation on a range of issues,
including energy efficiency and conservation, diversification of energy supply
and use of alternative and renewable energy, effective and clean use of
resources, oil stockpiling system development and energy-related statistics
development.
During the consultation, the ministers also discussed major
issues of the establishment of EAFTA, including the liberalization of different
kinds of goods and services, South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong said,
adding senior economic officials will gather in Vietnam's Hanoi next month for
further discussions.
The ministers reiterated the importance of continuing
regional economic integration as a means to beef up trade and investment flows.
The trade volume among ASEAN+3 surged to US$258.2 billion in 2004 from US$206.5
billion in 2003.
Xinhua
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