KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told leaders at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations forum in Kuala Lumpur that China does not seek regional leadership.
He also "made it clear that China is opposed to building any self-enclosed or exclusive bloc in the East Asia region," the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Wen spoke Monday during the ASEAN meeting, ahead of the first East Asian summit to begin Wednesday in the Malaysian capital.
The broader grouping -- seen as an attempt to create a counterbalance to U.S. and EU economic power -- will include the 10 member countries of ASEAN, plus China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. It will represent nearly half the world's population and about one-fifth of global trade.
In an apparent reference to the exclusion of the United States by the group, Wen said countries outside the region also should be involved in East Asian cooperation.
The East Asian community was first proposed by Mahathir Mohamad, former prime minister of Malaysia, nearly 20 years ago. His idea was an exclusive group limited to Asians, which he and others say has been undermined by the inclusion of Australia and New Zealand.
Russia will also attend as an observer.
