Chinese premier to visit three southeast Asian nations

BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will pay an official visit to Brunei, Indonesia and Myanmar, announced Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu here Tuesday.

Wen's trip from April 22 to 25, is at the invitations of the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein.

During his stay in Brunei, Wen will hold talks with Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and meet with Brunei's royal family members. While in Indonesia, he will meet with President Yudhoyono and other leaders. In Myanmar, he will hold talks with Prime Minister Thein Sein and meet with Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Than Shwe and other Myanmar leaders.

Jiang said that during the visit, Wen will exchange views with leaders of the three southeast Asian nations on bilateral relations, mutually beneficial cooperation as well as international and regional issues of common concern.

Wen will also attend celebrations marking the 60th anniversaries of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Indonesia and Myanmar with the respective leaders, she said.

"We hope Premier Wen's visit will promote China's traditional friendship with the three countries, enhance mutually beneficial cooperation and further boost China's relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)," Jiang said.