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China, first and foremost,
is an Asian country. Sprawling in the east of Eurasia, it occupies a special
geopolitical position. Surrounded by 29 countries, 14 of which border it,
China boasts more neighbors than any other country in the world. The country
pursues a greater peripheral diplomacy featuring such principles as seeking
friendship and partnership with neighboring countries, regarding one another
as strategic prop and stepping up commonly beneficial cooperation.
China continued to nurture closer diplomatic contacts with its neighbors
in two directions in 2004.
In the north, China enhanced its cooperation with Russia and Central Asian
countries in the fields of security and economic development. President
Hu Jintao attended the annual SCO summit meeting in Tashkent on June 17.
At the summit, he delivered a speech entitled "Strengthen Pragmatic Cooperation
and Jointly Seek Peace and Development," in which he spoke highly of the
organization. He said that the SCO is evolving into an important vehicle
for promoting good-neighborliness, mutual trust and down-to-earth cooperation
between the member states, an efficient mechanism for boosting regional
security, stability and development, and a constructive force in international
and regional affairs. This summit laid special emphasis on economic cooperation
between the member states, vowing to build a new Silk Road of stability
and prosperity.
In the south, China eagerly participated in East Asia integration. China
and the ASEAN started their process for building a free trade area with
the signing of the Agreement on Trading in Goods of the Framework Agreement
on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Between China and the ASEAN on November
29, in which the ASEAN recognizes China's market economy status. Bilateral
trade volume reached US$105.9 billion in 2004, up 35.77 percent over the
year before.
Cooperation between China and the ASEAN in energy, communications, security,
culture, science, technology and other fields proceeded in an orderly way.
While visiting Laos and attending the 10th ASEAN Summit, Premier Wen Jiabao
had bilateral talks with state leaders of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia,
Thailand, South Korea, Myanmar, Brunei, the Philippines, New Zealand, India,
Japan and Australia, respectively. They exchanged views on bilateral relations
as well as key cooperation fields and reached a wide range of consensus.
Premier Wen made a speech entitled "Strengthen Cooperation in the Spirit
of Reciprocity and Common Benefit" at the Eighth Summit Between the ASEAN
and China, Japan and South Korea. The positive changes in Asia have taken
place owing to the joint efforts among Asian countries for self-improvement,
their open and cooperative policies, as well as the widening and deepening
of multilateral cooperation in the region, he noted.
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