Wen Jiabao,Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, speech at the Commemorative Summit Marking the 15th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations in Nanning

October 30, 2006, Nanning Guangxi

Dear Colleagues,

Today, we, the leaders of China and ASEAN countries are meeting here in the beautiful city of Nanning to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the China-ASEAN dialogue relations. First of all, I would like to extend, on behalf of the Chinese Government, a very warm welcome to you.

Fifteen years ago, the opening of dialogue process between China and ASEAN turned a new page in relations between the two sides. Looking back at the past 15 years, we are glad to see that China-ASEAN relations have come a long way from removal of misgivings to commencement of dialogue to enhancement of mutual trust and to the final establishment of strategic partnership. Thanks to our joint efforts, our bilateral relations have made progress unseen in history. Relations between China and ASEAN have never been as good as they are today.

In the political field, mutual trust is growing. China was the first ASEAN dialogue partner to join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and to establish strategic partnership for peace and prosperity with ASEAN. The two sides jointly issued the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

Economically, we are moving towards greater integration. In just 15 years, our trade grew by 15 times, from less than $8 billion in 1991 to over $130 billion in 2005. By the end of last year, ASEAN countries had set up close to 30,000 investment projects in China, with a total investment of about $40 billion. China's investment in ASEAN countries has also grown. We were the first to start the process of establishing a free trade area and have signed the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Between China and ASEAN.

We enjoy extensive cooperation in priority areas. We have decided to advance bilateral cooperation in all areas in a comprehensive way for the period of 2005 to 2010 and have identified 10 priority areas, i.e. agriculture, information industry, human resources development, mutual investment, Mekong River Basin development, transport, energy, culture, tourism and public health. Effective mechanisms have been set up to carry out such cooperation. All the 10 ASEAN countries are now approved destinations for Chinese tourists. In 2005 alone, there were over 6.5 million visits between the two sides.

We extend mutual support in addressing issues of public security. When the Asian financial crisis and major emergencies or natural disasters occurred, such as SARS, the avian influenza and the Indian Ocean tsunami, we stood side by side, helped each other and overcame the difficulties. We maintain close coordination in upholding