Vice Premier Wu Yi held meetings in Nanning on Tuesday with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Laotian Prime Minister Boungnang Vorachit and Myanmar Prime Minister Soe Win, who were in the city to attend the First China-ASEAN Expo. The expo opens on Wednesday and will run through November 6.

"The expo, originated by Premier Wen Jiabao, will offer a new platform for further developing cooperation between China and ASEAN countries in trade, investment, economy and technology, as well as in projects and labor sourcing," Wu said.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations is planning to establish a free trade area with China by 2010, creating the third largest FTA in the world, with a population of more than 1.7 billion. 

The Chinese government sees the expo as a means to promote negotiations on the free trade zone as well as to deepen its strategic partnerships and friendly ties with the ASEAN countries. It is the first time China is hosting an expo organized by the 11 countries.

Wu Yi, together with the government leaders and other top officials from the 10 ASEAN countries, were scheduled to attend the expo opening ceremony on Wednesday.

ASEAN comprises Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.

Expo exhibitors include enterprises from China, the ASEAN countries and elsewhere, including 19 of the world's Top 500 enterprises.

(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2004)