China seeks common prosperity with ASEAN
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-11-24 16:52

China and the ASEAN have played increasingly important role in regional economic cooperation through a partnership of mutual trust and practical cooperation, said a Chinese minister in Phnom Penh Wednesday.

Zhang Chunxian, China's communications minister, who is there attending the 3rd ASEAN-China Transport Minister's Meeting, praised the cooperation and efforts made by both sides in a speech titled "Taking a Practical Approach for Cooperation and Seeking Common Prosperity for Future."

He said that the ASEAN-China transport cooperation is becoming more consolidated with every step forward and has constituted an essential part in building up a partnership of mutual trust and practical cooperation between the two sides.

"Its increasingly important role in regional economic cooperation is demonstrating to the world the strong aspirations of the people of ASEAN and China in seeking cooperation for a win-win result," he said.

Zhang put forward proposals to further enhance the transport cooperation.

"A 'result-and action-oriented' principle should be observed and more attention focused on promoting the specific projects while harmonizing the development of different modes of transport so as to deliver more benefit to the people," Zhang said.

Moreover, he noted that "while relying on our own, we may also consider the possibility of enlarging the channels for project financing from the international financial institutions."

At the meeting, ministers approved a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) on transport cooperation between China and ASEAN members countries, which, Zhang said, will become a legally based medium-to-long term cooperation partnership between the two sides.

The ASEAN ministers highly evaluated the progress made by ASEAN and China since the 2nd ASEAN-China Transport Minister Meeting in Yangon, Myanmar, citing the construction of the Laos section of the Kunming-Bangkok Highway; the navigation channel improvement project on the upper Mekong River; the pre-feasibility study of the missing link of the Trans-Asian Railway inside Cambodia, and the fact that direct flights have been in service linking major cities of China and ASEAN countries.

They also praised China's active role in supporting the capacity building projects in the region.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

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