On Sept. 2, 2013, Premier Li Keqiang met respectively with President U Thein Sein of Myanmar, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, and Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who came to attend the 10th China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, in Nanning.
When meeting with U Thein Sein, Li Keqiang conveyed greetings from President Xi Jinping to U Thein Sein. Li Keqiang said that China and Myanmar are each other's shield in geographical relations, share the same destiny, and the friendship between the two peoples enjoys a long history. Under the current complex and changeable international and regional situation, strengthening bilateral friendship is of unique strategic significance. Myanmar is accelerating the construction of economy and the people's livelihood, China is also speeding up the development and opening-up of its southwestern area, and cooperation between the two sides has special complementary advantages in locations, markets and technologies. Both sides should firmly grasp the general direction of the development of bilateral relations, better integrate their own development strategies, strengthen mutual political trust, explore new ideas and new approaches to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and well carry out major cooperation projects between the two countries, bringing more benefits to local people. At the same time, both countries should jointly safeguard their border region's prosperity and stability, and promote the long-term healthy and steady development of China-Myanmar relations. We hope Myanmar, as the next country to hold the rotating presidency of ASEAN, can play a positive role in the healthy and stable development of China-ASEAN relations.
U Thein Sein asked Li Keqiang to convey his cordial greetings to President Xi Jinping. He said that the traditional and friendly cooperative relationship between Myanmar and China continues to grow, greatly promoting each other's development. Myanmar sincerely thanks China for its precious support and help, and is willing to strengthen strategic communications with China, to expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and to push Myanmar-China as well as ASEAN-China relations to achieve a greater development.
When meeting with Hun Sen, Li Keqiang congratulated Cambodian People's Party on winning the recent election. Li said that Cambodia is China's intimate friend and important neighbor, and the two countries enjoy high political mutual trust, deepen cooperation in various fields, continue to expand common interests, and have become strategic partners with mutual understanding, interdependence and mutual support. China supports the Prime Minister to continue to lead the Cambodian government and people in taking the development road in line with Cambodia's national conditions, and is willing to maintain high level exchanges with Cambodia, to strengthen strategic communications, and to expand cooperation in key areas, such as trade and investment, infrastructure construction, agriculture and human resources training, to strengthen coordination in international and regional affairs, to join hands to meet challenges, and to achieve common development, bringing more benefits to the peoples of both countries.
Hun Sen, on behalf of the Cambodian government and people, thanked China for its firm support and selfless help, and said that China is always Cambodia's sincere friend and reliable partner, and Cambodia is willing to maintain close communications with China, to deepen the friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation, to strengthen experience exchanges in running the country and managing politics, and to promote the bilateral relations up to a new level.
When meeting with Thongsing Thammavong, Li Keqiang said that China and Laos are friendly neighbors enjoying geographical proximity, common ideas, and mutual benefits. Under the new situation, China is willing to work with Laos to continue enrich the connotation of comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, with close coordination in strategies, comprehensive cooperation in economy, and broad integration in humanities and culture, to accelerate major projects, such as traffic, energy and agriculture, and to promote the bilateral relations up to a new level. We hope Laos continues to play an active role in strengthening the China-ASEAN relations, laying a good foundation for the successful holding of the series of East Asian leaders' meetings in October this year.
Thongsing Thammavong said that Laos-China cooperation is of great significance to the economic and social development, and Laos is willing to maintain exchange of high level visits, coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, to well implement relevant cooperation projects, to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in law enforcement, security humanities, and other fields, and to continue to push forward the bilateral ties. Laos is willing to make positive contributions to promoting the ASEAN-China relations.
When meeting with Yingluck, Li Keqiang said that China and Thailand have enjoyed good-neighbourly friendship for a long time and the two peoples are as close as one family. Both sides have always adhered to the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit with fruitful cooperation in all fields. The comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Thailand has entered a new period of rapid development. The Chinese government attaches great importance to developing friendly cooperative relations with Thailand. China is willing to keep close high-level exchanges with Thailand, to earnestly promote cooperation on connectivity, infrastructure, energy resources and other major projects, to strengthen bilateral personnel exchanges and cultural communication, so that China-Thailand cooperation will better benefit both peoples. Hope the Thai side will continue to play a positive leading role in promoting China's relations with ASEAN countries. China expects that Thailand, as the country coordinator of ASEAN-China relations, will continue to push forward China-ASEAN relations for greater development.
Yingluck expressed that the Thailand-China relationship has always enjoyed sound development. China is an important cooperative partner of Thailand. The Thai side is willing to improve the cooperation mechanism with China, to expand mutually beneficial cooperation. Thailand welcomes more Chinese businesses investing in Thailand as well as Chinese tourists traveling to Thailand. Thailand will try the utmost efforts to protect the safety of Chinese nationals. Thailand will play a positive role in promoting the development of ASEAN-China relations.
When meeting with Nguyen Tan Dung, Li Keqiang, on behalf of the Chinese government and the people, extended congratulations for the National Day of Vietnam. Li Keqiang said that H.E. Prime Minister came to China for the China-ASEAN Expo on the very day of the National Day of Vietnam. It shows that the Vietnamese side attaches importance to relations with China and China-ASEAN cooperation. China and Vietnam are close neighbours as well as important partners and both are developing countries. The common interests between both sides far outweigh the differences. The global economy is now in a slow process for recovery, emerging market countries are facing new challenges. China is willing to join hands with Vietnam to enhance political mutual trust, to expand connectivity, to promote cooperation on land and the sea, to strengthen educational, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, so as to cement the supportive foundation from the public opinion for bilateral relations. Li Keqiang expounded China's principles and position on the South China Sea issue and pointed out that both sides should strengthen dialogue and communication, well manage and control differences, strive to turn the challenges brought by the maritime issue into the opportunities for cooperation in order to create a sound environment for both sides to cooperate on major projects.
Nguyen Tan Dung expressed that the relations between the two parties and the two countries have achieved sound development in recent years with fruitful cooperation in all fields and consensus on major issues. It has set the course for the development of bilateral relations. The Vietnamese side will forever remember and is sincerely grateful for China's long-time precious support. To adhere to the policy of good-neighbourly friendship and compressive cooperation towards China is a strategic choice of Vietnam and is always a top priority for Vietnam's foreign relations. Vietnam is willing to keep close high-level exchanges with China, to enhance political mutual trust, to expand practical cooperation, to properly resolve the maritime issue through friendly consultations in a bid to push forward bilateral relations for greater development.
When meeting with Teo Chee Hean, Li Keqiang expressed that China-Singapore relations enjoy sound development in general and the two countries have carried out a series of practical, efficient and exemplary cooperation. The Chinese government highly values the friendly cooperative relations with Singapore and is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Singapore in the fields of scien-tech innovation, ecology and environmental protection, finance and social administration, to unceasingly enrich the contents of bilateral relations and to achieve mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.
Teo Chee Hean expressed that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong paid a successful visit to China not long ago and bilateral relationship has enjoyed further development. Singapore places great importance on relations with China and is willing to deepen all-dimensional cooperation with China to push for more achievements in Singapore-China, ASEAN-China cooperation.
When talking about China-ASEAN relations, Li Keqiang said that over the 10 years since the establishment of China-ASEAN strategic partnership, bilateral relationship has become an example for good-neighbourly and friendly cooperation. The world is now paying more attention to Asia and Asia is one of the most dynamic regions in the global economic growth. It is an unswerving policy of the Chinese government under the new leadership to further strengthen strategic cooperation with ASEAN. We are willing to work with ASEAN countries to seize the opportunities, to adhere to the correct course of East Asia cooperation, to promote solidarity and cooperation, to jointly strive for development, to upgrade the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, to set up an Asia-wide platform for investment and financing in infrastructure, to actively conduct cooperation on the sea, to well manage differences, so as to push for the greater development of China-ASEAN relations in the next ten years.
The ASEAN leaders expressed that the all-dimensional development of ASEAN-China relations has strongly boosted regional peace, stability and prosperity. China is a friendly neighbour and a sincere partner of ASEAN countries. ASEAN countries are willing to join hands with China to push forward bilateral relations to a higher level.
Li Keqiang as well met the same day with Transport Ministers of ASEAN countries attending the ASEAN-China Transport Ministers' Special Meeting on Connectivity.
State Councilor Yang Jing was present at relevant activities.