China to intensify cooperation with S Korea, US, Australia -- china.org.cn

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi Wednesday met in Singapore separately with South Korea's Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith on bilateral cooperation and regional issues of common concern at the sidelines of the 15th ASEAN Regional Forum.

Foreign Ministers and representatives to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus three foreign ministers meeting hold hands during the meeting in Singapore July 22, 2008. Foreign ministers from the ASEAN countries and China, Japan and South Korea attended the meeting here on Tuesday.

In the meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Yang said China and South Korea have established strategic partnership and the two sides should keep high-level exchanges and deepen understanding and cooperation on strategic regional and international issues while strengthening bilateral trade and economic ties.

For his part, Yu Myung-hwan said South Korea is willing to keep high-level exchanges with China, adding that Seoul will strengthen its cooperation and coordination with Beijing in all fields, especially in the area of East Asia cooperation and the Six-Party Talks.

During the meeting with Rice, Yang said China and the United States should strengthen dialogue and cooperation in the world affairs and properly handle some sensitive problems so as to ensure the Sino-US ties to develop on the healthy track.

Meanwhile, Rice said US-China relations are developing smoothly, adding that the two countries should expand their comprehensive cooperation and dialogue in broad areas. Rice expressed hope that Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and Iran's nuclear problem will be resolved properly through their joint cooperation.

(L to R) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Foreign Minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Pak Ui Chun and Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura pose for a family photo before the first foreign ministers' informal meeting of the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, in Singapore, July 23, 2008. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)

During the meeting with Smith, Yang said China highly values its friendly ties with Australia. China is willing to strengthen exchanges and intensify bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade, energy, science and technology, Yang said.

Smith said China is an important partner. Australia would like to actively expand beneficial cooperation on the basis of mutual trust and respect so as to advance bilateral ties to a higher level. Australia will cooperate with China to meet the challenges in the region, Smith added.

(Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2008)