"To ensure regional peace, stability and development is in conformity with the needs of China and is also in the common interests of all countries in the region," he said at an annual meet of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus China, Japan and South Korea (10+3) mechanism.

"China has taken practical measures to materialize the consensus reached among leaders at the 10+3 annual summits," Tang said.

Since the beginning of last year, to press ahead with the Asian money-swap scheme known as the Chiang Mai Initiative, China has signed bilateral currency swap agreements with Thailand, Japan and South Korea, and begun consultations with other countries in the region, according to him.

China has also held four training courses for the 10+3 financial and central bank officials and another four are to be held in the two years to come, said Tang.

"China will host a high-level regional seminar on short-term capital flow in October and has just held East Asia Forum on Agriculture Technology and Cooperation which marks a good start for the 10+3 agricultural cooperation," he said.

Refuting some countries who tend to portray East Asia as a source of conflicts, Tang said instead the region is a force to be reckoned with in the current world from political, economic, cultural and geographical perspectives.

"In fact, for a long period of time, and even in the wake of the Asian financial crisis, East Asia has enjoyed fastest economic growth in the world and seeking economic development has always been the central task for the relevant governments in the region," he said.

"The strengthening of regional cooperation will provide a continuous impetus to East Asian development," said the minister.

"I am fully convinced that as long as we make joint efforts to enhance cooperation and promote development, we will realize lasting peace, stability and prosperity in East Asia," he concluded.

Starting in 2000, the 10+3 annual meet between ASEAN foreign ministers and their counterparts from the bloc's three Northeast Asian dialogue partners -- China, Japan and South Korea -- has become a key part of the ASEAN annual gatherings which also include the ASEAN Foreign Ministerial Meeting (AMM), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and Post Ministerial Conferences (PMCs).

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. This year's ASEAN meetings are being hosted by Brunei between July 29 and August 1 under a rotating sponsorship among members.

Cooperation Leads Asian Trends

Regional cooperation in Asia-Pacific has been accelerated with dynamism and vitality, which is a prominent feature in the regional trends of peace and development, Tang said.

Although the "region has gone through the most profound changes in the post Cold-War period at the forefront of international fight against terrorism," "the overall trends towards peace and development remain unchanged," he said in a speech at the annual meeting of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China, Japan and South Korea.

"To maintain stability and develop economy is still the major policy orientation for most countries in the region," Tang noted.

"During the first half of this year, the world economic situation has taken a turn for the better, and the East Asian economies have enjoyed a rebound," he said.

Under such circumstances, "regional cooperation has remarkably picked up speed with dynamism and vitality," said the minister.

"The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has scored new achievements, the First Foreign Ministers' Informal Meeting of Asia Cooperation Dialogue was successfully held and the annual meet of Boao Forum for Asia was officially launched."

Meanwhile, negotiations and development of various bilateral and multilateral free trade areas have also injected new vitality into Asian cooperation.

"Seeking development and peace through cooperation has become a common aspiration for more and more Asian countries," Tang pointed out.

Starting in 2000, the 10+3 annual meeting between ASEAN foreign ministers and their counterparts from the bloc's three Northeast Asian dialogue partners -- China, Japan and South Korea -- has become a key part of the ASEAN annual gatherings which also include the ASEAN Foreign Ministerial Meeting (AMM), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and Post Ministerial Conferences (PMCs).

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. This year's ASEAN meetings are being hosted by Brunei between July 29 and August 1 under a rotating sponsorship among members.

(People's Daily July 31, 2002)