China, ASEAN vow to further strategic partnership
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Xinhua, August 24, 2011
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Tuesday pledged to consolidate and promote their strategic partnership, according to a statement from a reception held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogues.
State Councilor Dai Bingguo spoke highly of the development of China-ASEAN relations in his address to the reception. He said China will unswervingly support less-developed ASEAN member countries to speed up the realization of their development goals.
China will support the construction of the ASEAN community, he said.
He also raised a proposal on deepening the China-ASEAN strategic partnership. His proposal included China's desire to enhance political trust and expand mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as trade, infrastructure, security and cultural exchanges.
Cambodian Ambassador to China Khek Caimealy Sysoda said that this year has seen many critical moments for the development of ASEAN-China relations, as it marks not only the 20th anniversary of the relations, but also the first anniversary of the establishment of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA).
She noted that the CAFTA is an "emerging economic entity with great development potential." Bilateral trade in the area jumped by almost 36 percent year-on-year in 2010 to exceed 290 billion U.S. dollars, according to official statistics.
Sysoda pledged that ASEAN will work with China to further their relations in an effort to achieve common development.
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