The 2nd East Asia Summit opened on Monday in Cebu, the second largest city of the Philippines, focusing on East Asia cooperation.

 

Premier Wen Jiabao and leaders of the ASEAN member countries, and those of Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand attended the summit.

 

At the summit, Wen is set to exchange views with other leaders on energy security and the future development of the event itself in an attempt to make it play a constructive and active role in enhancing cooperation in the region.

 

He will put forward several "principle proposals" on energy, avian influenza prevention, finance, education and mitigation of natural disasters.

 

Assistant Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai said earlier that East Asia cooperation was open and inclusive and China encouraged other countries outside the region to strengthen cooperation and exchanges with the member nations, adding that China supported ASEAN in playing a leading role in the process of promoting East Asia cooperation.

 

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), established on August 8, 1967 in Bangkok, now groups Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.

 

The first East Asia Summit, attended by leaders of the 10 ASEAN member countries and those of the ASEAN's six dialogue partners -- China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand -- took place in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur on December 14, 2005.

 

The 2nd East Asia Summit, scheduled on December 14, 2006, was postponed to January due to the devastating typhoon Utor, which ripped through the island country.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2007)