1. We, the Heads of State/Government of the People's Republic of China and the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathered on October 30, 2006 in the "Year of Friendship and Cooperation Between China and ASEAN" in Nanning, China, to commemorate the 15th Anniversary of the China-ASEAN dialogue relations.

Fifteen Years of Working and Growing Together

2. We reviewed the progress in China-ASEAN dialogue relations and expressed satisfaction that this cooperation is comprehensive and deepening in many areas of mutual interest. The strategic partnership for peace and prosperity between China and ASEAN has not only vigorously boosted their own development and brought tangible benefits to their peoples, but also contributed significantly to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world at large. We are confident that we have laid down a solid foundation for enhanced future cooperation between China and ASEAN.

3. We highly appreciated the strengthened political and security cooperation following the signing of the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in 2003 in Bali, and the adoption of the China-ASEAN Plan of Action in 2004 in Vientiane. We commended China for being the first Dialogue Partner of ASEAN to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia in 2003 in Bali. We were pleased with the signing of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in 2002. The China-ASEAN Joint Declaration in the Field of Non-Traditional Security Issues of 2002 also increased the cooperation in dealing with transnational crime.

4. We welcomed the positive effects of the China-ASEAN Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation signed in 2002 in Phnom Penh. In 2005, the China-ASEAN trade volume reached $130.37 billion. While the total volume of ASEAN's actual investment in China reached $3.1 billion, China's investment in ASEAN increased to $158 million in 2005. In this connection, ASEAN welcomed China's commitment to increase its investment in ASEAN. We were pleased with the successful holding of the first and the second China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Nanning, China, which facilitated contacts among business people and promoted trade and investment between China and ASEAN. The envisioned China-ASEAN Free Trade Area is crystallizing.

5. We noted with satisfaction the expansion of China-ASEAN cooperation from five to 10 priority areas, namely, agriculture, information and communication technology (ICT), human resource development (HRD), two-way investment, Mekong River Basin development, transportation, energy, culture, tourism and public health, as well as the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs). These activities promoted closer cooperation in tackling new challenges such as natural disasters and communicable diseases and also more people-to-people contacts.