The 11th meeting between leaders of China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was held in Singapore on Tuesday.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and leaders of the 10 ASEAN member countries attended the summit, during which Wen delivered a speech.

Wen said over the past year, guided by the Joint Statement issued at the Commemorative Summit Marking the 15th Anniversary of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, China and ASEAN countries have made new achievements in good neighborly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation.

China and ASEAN are currently moving into new times and stages of development, respectively, he added.

It is the Chinese government's unshakable foreign policy to cement and boost the China-ASEAN strategic partnership toward peace and prosperity, Wen said.

He said the Chinese side would like to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN in the following aspects in the new year:

Firstly, China will promote mutual political trust and policy coordination with ASEAN.

Secondly, China will boost economic and trade ties and raise the level of its cooperation with the bloc.

Thirdly, China would like to carry out practical cooperation with ASEAN in nontraditional security fields.

Fourthly, China will actively support the construction of the ASEAN community and its process of integration.

Fifthly, China will expand social, cultural and personnel exchanges with ASEAN.

The Chinese premier said the development of China and ASEAN is interdependent and serves as a catalyst for each other's growth.

China's economic and social development would provide greater and more development space and chances for its neighboring countries, including ASEAN members and other countries in the world, he said.

The Chinese side is willing to make joint efforts with ASEAN to push forward bilateral ties.

Leaders of ASEAN member nations highly appreciated the considerable development of the ASEAN-China dialogue relations and their respective ties with China, which have grown in a sound manner.

They all said that China sticks to the road of peaceful development, adheres to the policy of good-neighborly friendship, and is a trusted friend and close partner of ASEAN.

China's development is a huge chance for ASEAN and has provided a bright prospect for promoting bilateral cooperation, they added.

The leaders said ASEAN members hope to further strengthen political and security dialogue with China, to broaden bilateral cooperation in economy, information, infrastructure and nontraditional security fields, and to increase personnel exchanges.

In this way, the two sides can work together to boost peace, embrace challenges, seek development and enjoy prosperity, they added.

After the meeting, Wen and ASEAN leaders attended the signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding on strengthening China-ASEAN health and plant health cooperation.

The Chinese premier arrived here on Sunday for an official visit to Singapore. During his stay here, he was also scheduled to attend the 11th ASEAN plus Three summit, the third East Asia summit and the eighth meeting of leaders of China, Japan and South Korea.

As a regional cooperation group founded in August 1967, ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

(Xinhua News Agency November 21, 2007)