On Sept 15, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said that China hoped the China-ASEAN Expo would further promote the common prosperity and common development of China and ASEAN.

The 11th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit is being held in Nanning, China from September 16-19.

It is understood that the Vice Premier of the State Council of China, Zhang Gaoli; the Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong; the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Samdech Hun Sen; the Vice President of Laos, Boungang Vorachith; the Vice President of Myanmar, U Nyan Tun; the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Thailand, Thanasak Patimaprakorn; the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Vietnam, Pham Binh Minh; and other leaders of ASEAN countries were also invited to attend.

Hong Lei said, “This is an annual grand gathering between China and ASEAN. ASEAN is the priority of China's neighborhood diplomacy, and China and ASEAN celebrated the 10th anniversary of the establishment of a strategic partnership last year. The past decade has been a golden decade for China-ASEAN economic cooperation and trade, during which we put into place the largest free trade area of developing countries. We are geared up for a brand-new diamond decade. We will continue to support the growth of ASEAN, push vigorously ahead with strategic cooperation between China and ASEAN and forge a more closely-knit community with a common destiny and shared interests.”

He said, “We are committed to signing the treaty of good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation with ASEAN countries based on consultation, jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and ASEAN and fostering friendship between people of the two sides so as to cement the social foundation of mutually beneficial cooperation.”

Edited by Brian Salter