Cooperation source of prosperity and stability in SE Asia

The white paper, China and the World in the New Era, released on Friday describes how throughout its rapid economic development, China has interacted with the rest of world and proves that China's development is a boon to the regional as well as global economies.

Cooperation between China and Southeast Asian countries has played a significant role in China's development. No wonder China attaches great importance to relations with Southeast Asian countries. Bilateral cooperation with Southeast Asian countries began when Vietnam and Indonesia established diplomatic relations with China soon after the founding of the People's Republic of China on Oct 1, 1949.

In 1954, premier Zhou Enlai visited India and Myanmar, and signed agreements on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and further promoted the principles at the Bandung Conference (the first large-scale Asian-African conference) in Indonesia in 1955. The principles have been widely recognized as a great contribution to international relations.