NANNING, China, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabo praised his country's 15-year cooperation with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, urging even closer ties.
Speaking Monday in Nanning on the 15th anniversary of the China-ASEAN dialogue, the Chinese leader said their 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."
Wen, whose speech was carried in full by Xinhua news agency, said trade between his country and the Asian economic block grew 15 times to more than $130 billion since 1991 and that ASEAN countries have set up close to 30,000 investment projects in China.
To increase cooperation in the future, Wen said China has identified 10 priority areas in such areas as agriculture, information industry, human resources development and the Mekong River Basin development.
Wen also proposed expanding military dialogue and that the two sides should "conduct and institutionalize defense cooperation."
