NANNING, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan met with leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Saturday, and vowed to strengthen the China-ASEAN relationship.
When meeting with Brunei's Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Laotian Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Zeng spoke highly of the bilateral relations between China and ASEAN countries.
Zeng hailed frequent high-level contacts, expanding trade cooperation, deepening local exchanges, more active cultural exchanges and closer coordination in international affairs between China and ASEAN countries.
China is willing to work with all ASEAN nations to promote their bilateral relations to benefit the people in the region, Zeng said.
He said the China-ASEAN summit held last October has brought the bilateral relations into a new historic era, adding that China will work with ASEAN to deepen strategic partnership, promote stable development of the cooperation in east Asia and contribute to regional peace, development and stability.
The ASEAN leaders expressed their warm congratulation to the success of the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
They said China's development is a great encouragement to the ASEAN countries. ASEAN highly values its relationship with China, and hopes to expand political, economic and cultural cooperation with China.
Billah said he hopes to attend the opening ceremony of the 2008Beijing Olympic Games.
The meetings were on the sideline of the fourth China-ASEAN Expo, which will open on Sunday morning.