| Follow us on:
|
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said China fully supports ASEAN integration [Xinhua ]
ASEAN and its integration endeavor will be fully supported by China, Wang said.
The foreign minister announced a consensus between China and ASEAN on maintaining peace and stability in the region, including the South China Sea.
Wang was speaking at the conclusion of a strategic four-nation tour to Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei.
ASEAN is China’s third-largest trading partner, and the region’s trade with China rose 10.2 per cent to $400 billion in 2012, according to official Chinese data.
China and the four ASEAN members have defined the directions of future bilateral cooperation, in view of each other’s development strategy, Wang said in an interview to Chinese media.
The International Monetary Fund estimated last month that ASEAN economies will expand 5.5 per cent this year compared with the 1.2 per cent pace of advanced economies.
China’s new leadership prioritizes its relationship with ASEAN and key projects of connectivity and maritime cooperation will be pushed vigorously by China asserted Wang.
Asean countries comprise Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
With inputs from Xinhua
