Chinese Vice Premier Huang Ju met in Beijing Tuesday with a delegation from the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO) led by its president Cheam Yeap.

Both sides expressed their satisfaction with the achievements made in the cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in recent years.

Huang said that China and ASEAN should constantly consolidate their coordination and cooperation, since both are important forces to maintain the regional peace and development.

China will continue to build a good relationship and partnership with its neighbors and endeavor to promote the mutual trust and cooperation with its neighbors to a new level, Huang said.

With concerted efforts, China and ASEAN will make new progress in their relationship of good neighborliness, mutual trust and partnership, according to Huang.

Cheam Yeap said that the delegation's visit aims to enhance exchanges between the AIPO and China's National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, and promote the development of cooperation between ASEAN members and China.

(Xinhua News Agency June 23, 2004)