His remarks came on the eve of Premier Zhu Rongji's departure Friday for Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he will attend the sixth leaders' summit between China and ASEAN.

Wang, who is part of Zhu's entourage, said:

"ASEAN occupies a unique and important position in China's foreign policy, one which is closely tied to the nation's expressed diplomatic stance.''

Wang said China hopes for a peaceful international environment to pursue its economic development and regional stability is particularly vital to that end.

China has committed herself to enhancing co-operation with developing countries. ASEAN is comprised of 10 developing nations, all of whom are neighbours of China, said Wang. China has always supported multi-polarization of the world's nations, which does not stress the 19th century monopoly of international affairs by big powers, but general participation of all nations, especially the developing ones, in the international arena.

"ASEAN is an important rising force on the global stage,'' he added.

The vice-minister said China-ASEAN relations have witnessed an overall development in the last decade with the collaboration of both sides.

China-ASEAN agreed to establish good neighbourly relations, at the forefront of which are mutual trust and co-operation, when President Jiang Zemin attended the first China-ASEAN leaders' summit in Kuala Lumpur in 1997.

"That has determined the orientation of the China-ASEAN relationship in the new century,'' Wang said, adding that China had signed declarations of co-operation with every member of the 10-nation ASEAN group and drawn the blueprint for bilateral co-operation.

"ASEAN has reduced its apprehensions and enhanced its trust of China in this process,'' Wang said.

At the end of last year, when Premier Zhu attended the fifth leaders' summit in Brunei, China and ASEAN agreed to establish a free trade area within a decade. "That's another milestone in the advancement of the China-ASEAN relationship and one which shows the economic interdependence between them,'' Wang said.

The vice-minister revealed that the two sides are expected to sign a framework agreement on comprehensive economic co-operation during the sixth summit, scheduled for Monday, thereby officially initiating the process for the establishment of a China-ASEAN free trade area.

(China Daily November 1, 2002)