China's policy to strengthen relations with ASEAN was reiterated by the Chinese Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Qian Qichen, when he attended the 26th AMM in Singapore in July 1993. At his meeting with the ASEAN Foreign Ministers, he emphasized that China highly valued the positive role of ASEAN in regional development and security. He indicated that China wished to strengthen and give full play to the mechanism of dialogue and consultation with ASEAN.

In response, ASEAN welcomed the Chinese policy for greater cooperation and pledged its continued support for China's modernization. It was stated that cross investments and increase in trade would be conducive to strengthening ASEAN- China relations. ASEAN also reiterated its desire to see an early peaceful resolution to the Spratlys issue in which some ASEAN Member Countries were directly involved.

Following an invitation by the Chinese Government, the Secretary-General of ASEAN led a delegation to Beijing in September 1993 for talks with senior Chinese officials on ways and means of developing the ASEAN-China consultative relationship. The two sides agreed to set up a Joint Committee on Economic and Trade Cooperation, and a Joint Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation. The Joint Committees would become operational after a formal Exchange of Letters has taken place between the Secretary- General and the Chinese Foreign Minister at the 27th AMM at Bangkok in July 1994.

The Joint Committee on Economic and Trade Cooperation will be co-chaired by the SEOM Chairman and a senior Chinese official at the corresponding level from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation. The Commit- tee will meet regularly to review developments in economic and trade cooperation between ASEAN and China and recommend ways for further expansion of their cooperation.

The Joint Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation will be under the co-chairmanship of the COST Chairman and the Chinese- Vice Minister of the State Science and Technology Commission. Meetings of the Committee will also be held regularly to review ASEAN-China cooperation in science and technology and recommend ways to expand the cooperation.

To further strengthen their cooperation in science and technology, China has proposed the setting up of a China-ASEAN Science and Technology Training Center in Beijing and a China- ASEAN Technology Development and-Service Center in one of the ASEAN Member Countries. During the Meeting of the Committee on Science and Technology (COST) in Manila in January 1994, senior COST officials met informally with their Chinese counterparts to discuss the terms of reference and working mechanisms, for their cooperation. They also agreed to include the two proposed centers in the agenda of the first meeting of their Joint Committee.