Peace and prosperity propeller

THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC WHEELS must run at the same time in East Asia. This is the metaphor Chinese Premier Li Keqiang used to indicate how cooperation between China and ASEAN countries should proceed to promote regional peace and stability in a speech at the Ninth East Asia Summit on Thursday in the Myanmar capital.

In his speech, Li said that China is talking with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations about signing a treaty on friendly cooperation, which will provide an institutional framework and legal guarantee for both sides to coexist peacefully for generations.

Li said that China is willing to take this as an opportunity to promote permanent peace in East Asia.