Singapore PM hails China-ASEAN ties 

Source:

10-25-2006 16:14

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was upbeat about relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and believed the all-round development of ties will benefit the whole region and the world.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Lee said relations between China and ASEAN had developed rapidly since the establishment of regular dialogue between the two sides 15 years ago. Comprehensive progress had since been made in various fields of cooperation, he added.

The progress, he said, covered the fields of trade, investment, education, culture, security and politics. But China and the regional bloc should pay more attention to the negotiations on the services and investment chapter, he added.

ASEAN, which was founded in 1967, groups Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.

Lee said China's economic development had created many opportunities for ASEAN and both sides had actively participated in each other's growth.

"For the past 15 years, we have made a lot of progress because ASEAN has seen China's development as a positive trend for the whole region, and in fact, for the whole world. It is also positive for ASEAN because we have been able to participate in China's growth and have invested in China," he said.