Your Excellency Datuk Abdullah Badawi,
Colleagues and Friends,

I am very glad to have the first official dialogue with ASEAN represented by Your Excellency. Now China has become ASEAN's full dialogue partner. This new relationship has opened up broad prospects for the development of relations between China and ASEAN at a higher level. We are delighted to have Malaysia serve as the ASEAN coordinator in its relations with China. We look forward to closer cooperation with Malaysia and other ASEAN countries in the future.

China has followed with great interest the development of ASEAN. In nearly thirty years since its founding, ASEAN has dedicated itself to strengthening political unity and economic cooperation among its members and achieved remarkable results. The integration of the ten Southeast Asian countries towards the end of the century will mark the success of the spirit of regional Cooperation fostered by ASEAN. ASEAN is also playing an increasing role in maintaining regional peace and stability. The development of ASEM, APEC and ARF are inseparable from the active diplomatic efforts of ASEAN. China holds ASEAN achievements in high regard.

To develop long term, good neighborly and friendly relations with ASEAN is an important component of China's foreign policy. Thanks to the concerted efforts of both sides over the years, the cooperation between China and ASEAN has made substantial progress in all fields.

Politically, the two sides have maintained frequent exchanges of high-level visits and dialogues at all levels since 1991, I have attended at invitation the AMM-related functions every year and held productive consultations with my ASEAN colleagues. A system of regular senior officials consultation has been established between the two sides, which has effectively enhanced understanding and mutual trust.

Economically, the two sides have enjoyed a satisfactory cooperation. Since the end of 1980s, our bilateral trade has grown at an average annual rate of 20%, approaching US$ 20 billion last year. ASEAN has become China's sixth largest trading partner. The two sides have also conducted fruitful and mutually beneficial cooperation in the areas of banking, project contract and labor contract. In 1994, the China-ASEAN Joint Economic and Trade Committee and China-ASEAN Joint Scientific and Technological Committee were established, giving a boost to our cooperation with various ASEAN countries in the economic, trade, scientific and technological fields.

In international and regional affairs, we have increased our coordination and mutual support. China and ASEAN countries have cooperated successfully in regional political dialogue and economic cooperation as well as in the United Nations and other major global affairs.

It is not accidental that China and ASEAN have enjoyed a growing relationship of friendship and cooperation. Today, with quickened pace of multipolarization and higher world status for Asia, China and ASEAN, both new and rising forces and developing countries in Asia, have seen their common ground and mutual interests steadily increasing while striving for their own development and prosperity in the whole region.

First, we all concentrate on economic development and improvement of people's livelihood. To this end, we have chosen our respective courses of development suited to our national conditions and defined our grand long-range objectives.

Second, both China and ASEAN attach great importance to ensuring a peaceful and stable environment in our region and are making concrete efforts for its maintenance and enlargement.

Third, we all hope to increase our political dialogue and economic cooperation, actively support and participate in regional cooperation and contribute to an Asia that enjoys stability and common prosperity.

Fourth, we share mutual interests and hold identical propositions for the establishment of a new international order and the maintenance of the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries.

Fifth, both China and ASEAN observe the basic principles of non-interference in each other's internal affairs and peaceful settlement of disputes between states, stand for dialogue and cooperation, oppose confrontation and power politics, and maintain that all countries, big or small, should respect each other and treat each other completely as equals.

China is now a full dialogue partner of ASEAN, a fact that holds out a great opportunity for bilateral friendship and cooperation. With the new century around the corner, to establish a China-ASEAN partnership of good-neighborliness and mutual trust, a partnership oriented towards the 21 st century, should be the common objective for all of us.