How China can boost trade in East Asia

Premier Li Keqiang will pay a four-day visit to Thailand from Saturday to attend the 22nd China-ASEAN leaders' meeting, 22nd ASEAN-China, Japan and Republic of Korea (ASEAN+3) leaders' meeting and the 14th East Asia Summit. Amid rising nationalism and protectionism, and anti-globalization sentiments, the series of meetings offer an opportunity to East Asian countries, especially the ASEAN +3 countries to discuss regional development and cooperation.

East Asian economies have different political and economic systems, and cultures. Southeast Asian countries formed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to overcome these differences and resolve their territorial and political disputes through negotiations and without interfering in each other's internal affairs.

The principles laid out by ASEAN developed into "open regionalism" in the process of ASEAN's cooperation with China, Japan, the ROK and other economies. Which provided the basis for cooperation among most East Asian economies with ASEAN and facilitated the formation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the East Asian Community and ASEAN+3.