The 7th meeting of the China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Joint Cooperation Committee will be held in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from March 15 to 16.

 

According to sources with the Chinese Foreign Ministry yesterday, Assistant Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai will lead the Chinese delegation to attend the meeting. Other participants will include officials from the foreign ministries of 10 ASEAN members and the ASEAN Secretariat.

 

The joint cooperation committee, set up in 1997, acts as an important coordination mechanism between China and ASEAN. This year is the 15th anniversary for building dialogue mechanism between China and ASEAN and the 'Year of Friendship and Cooperation' between the two parties.

 

The committee's current meeting will focus its discussion on the follow-up activities of the China-ASEAN summit held last year and the commemorative activities to mark the 15th anniversary of China-ASEAN relations.

 

Participants of the meeting will exchange views on promoting pragmatic cooperation in various fields between China and ASEAN, sources with the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 10, 2006)