Seizing the strategic initiative

Visits by President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang to Southeast Asia have paved the way for furthering ties with China's neighbors

October 2013 can be called the"Asia-Pacific month" or "Southeast Asia month" of China's diplomacy. With the 21st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and the East Asia leaders' meetings being held in Indonesia and Brunei respectively in succession, China's diplomatic "dream team" set out again.

President Xi Jinping paid state visits to Indonesia and Malaysia and attended the APEC summit from Oct 2 to 8, and Premier Li Keqiang paid official visits to Brunei, Thailand and Vietnam and attended the East Asia leaders' meetings from Oct 9 to 15. Their maiden visits to Southeast Asia and debut in the two summits boosted friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and most Southeast Asian countries, promoted peace, stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region, and won the strategic initiative for China's diplomatic layout in the Asia-Pacific.