China pursues a policy of friendship and partnership with neighbors. Basing its Asia policy on peace, security, cooperation, and prosperity, China works to promote good-neighborly relations and regional cooperation. The Chinese government handles sensitive issues concerning surrounding countries in an appropriate manner and advances mutually beneficial cooperation with its Asian neighbors. Supported by Asian countries and the international community, the Boao Forum for Asia held annually in Hainan Province of China keeps developing and plays an increasingly significant role in the process of regional cooperation, and manifests the Asian peoples' ardent wish to pursue cooperation and win-win. The theme of the Annual Conference 2004 of the Boao Forum for Asia was "Asia Searching for Win-win: New Role of Asia." 

The year 2004 witnessed a new phase of China's relations with ASEAN. In June 2004, the foreign ministers of China and the 10 ASEAN countries held an informal meeting in Qingdao, and agreed to have their respective permanent representatives to the UN hold regular consultations. They also reached agreement on the long-term objective of an East Asian Community for East Asian cooperation through the 10+3 mechanism (ASEAN+China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK)) and supported holding an East Asian Summit at an appropriate time. In July 2004, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing attended the 10+3 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference (PMC), and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Jakarta, Indonesia. At the end of November 2004, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao attended the 8th 10+3 Summit, the ASEAN-China (10+1) Summit, and the 6th China-Japan-ROK Leaders' Meeting in Vientiane, Laos. Premier Wen Jiabao proposed the basic guideline of "equality, mutual trust, cooperation, and win-win" for the long-term development of China-ASEAN relations. During the meetings, China and ASEAN issued the Action Plan to Implement the Joint Declaration on China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity, and signed documents, such as the Agreement on Trade in Goods under the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation between China and ASEAN and the Agreement on China-ASEAN Dispute Settlement Mechanism. In January 2005, Premier Wen Jiabao attended the Special ASEAN Leaders' Meeting on the Aftermath of Earthquake and Tsunami, held in Jakarta.