Top officials from China and five other northeast Asian countries, said they would strive to seek joint regional development at a high level forum on northeast Asia economic and trade cooperation on Sunday.

The forum was part of the ongoing five-day 3rd Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Expo that commenced on Sunday in Changchun, capital of Jilin Province.

Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan said at the forum the country has recently announced targets in rejuvenating its old northeast industrial base in 10 to 15 years.

Zeng said the revitalizing plan is not only part of China's regional development strategy, but will bring new opportunities to the economic and trade cooperation with other northeastern Asian countries.

He urged the countries in the region, including China, Russia, Japan, Republic of Korea (ROK), Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Mongolia, to strengthen cooperation in infrastructure construction and other sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing while improving the cooperation mechanism.

Kamil Shamilyevich Iskhakov, Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Russia's Far East Federal District, said the Russian government was drafting a plan to boost infrastructure in its far east region by 2013, which accounts for about 40 percent of country's total territory, with planned investment of 22 billion U.S. dollars.

He said the regional development in Northeast Asia needs the efforts of the countries involved. He called on countries in the region to work "side by side" and seek common interest, instead of national interest only.

Kandeh K. Yumkella, director general of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), told the forum his organization would continue to help boost regional integration in Northeast Asia while implementing the existing Tumen River Investment Services, which involves China, ROK, DPRK, Mongolia and Russia.

Yumkella said at a logistics forum held in the morning that the UNIDO would offer advice on how to achieve sustainable development, green production and reduce pollution in the region.

Attending the high level forum were also Enkhsaikhan Mendsaikhany, deputy primer minister of Mongolia; Hong Sukwoo, minister of commerce, industry and energy of ROK; Masakazu Toyoda, vice minister for international Affairs from Japan, and Ri Ryong Nam, vice minister of foreign trade of DPRK.

All of them expressed hopes to participate in the regional economic integration in Northeast Asia.

The aggregate gross domestic product of northeast Asian countries stood at more than 8 trillion U.S. dollars, or 19 percent of the world's total, with foreign reserves totaling three trillion U.S. dollars, as China, Japan and Russia are the world's top three foreign reserve holders.

China's trade with the other five countries stood at 378.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2006, accounting for 21.4 percent of its total foreign trade volume. China is the largest trade partner with Japan, ROK, Mongolia and DPRK, and the fourth largest with Russia.

(Xinhu News Agency September 3, 2007)