Blessing for the region

Premier Li Keqiang's meeting with leaders of the 10-member ASEAN in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, on Wednesday has yielded fruitful results. The agreements reached and the areas of cooperation identified during the meeting will consolidate China-ASEAN ties and lay the foundation for an even brighter future for the region.

Leaders from the two sides have agreed to deepen strategic mutual trust and good-neighborly relations, and strengthen win-win cooperation with special focus on trade.

These political pledges will be translated into seven areas of cooperation the two sides will forge in the future, injecting new vitality into their strategic partnership and lifting their cooperation to a higher level. The most vital among them will be making efforts to agree on a China-ASEAN treaty on good neighborliness and friendly cooperation, and upgrade the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.