New Chinese ambassador to Myanmar on China-ASEAN co-op in dealing with global financial crisis

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

YANGON, Feb. 26 (Chinese media) -- New Chinese Ambassador to

Myanmar Ye Dabo said on Thursday that China and the Association of Southeast

Asian Nations (ASEAN) should continue to enhance political trust mutually and

policy coordination to deal with the global financial crisis through cooperation

in a bid to realize a mutually beneficial and win-win situation.

Ye made the remarks in an interview with Chinese media in

the eve of the 14th ASEAN Summit scheduled for Friday in Thailand.

The current global financial crisis is sustainable

spreading, deepening the impact on Asian countries including China and 10-nation

ASEAN, Ye said, expressing that China wishes to further enhance mutually

beneficial cooperation with ASEAN to turn the crisis to opportunity, increase

reciprocal trade and push the cooperation to obtain practical achievement.

Ye held that the two sides should continuously raise

the level of economic and trade cooperation to find out new economic growth

point amid adversity, maintaining the healthy development of respective

countries' economy and mitigating the impact brought about by the financial

crisis.

Ye noted that despite impact at different degrees on

China and Myanmar by the financial crisis, it still scored gratifying

achievement in Sino-Myanmar economic and trade cooperation in 2008.

According to Chinese official statistics, from

January to December in 2008, China-Myanmar bilateral trade hit 2.626 billion

U.S. dollars, rising by 26.4 percent correspondingly with China's status in

Myanmar's foreign investor going up from the 6th position to the 4th.

Ye noted that there exists vast potential in the two

countries' economic and trade cooperation, saying that the two sides can enhance

the mutually beneficial cooperation in such pressing sectors as hydropower, oil

and gas and mineral production, simplifying related procedures and further push

the exchange of bilateral trade.

Speaking of the views on ASEAN Community and ASEAN

Integration, Ye said ASEAN is an important regional organization in Asia, making

active contribution for the past many years to pushing sub-regional economic,

social and cultural development and to safeguarding of regional peace, stability

and prosperity.

Along with the globalization and the rapid

development of regional cooperation and at the same time when ASEAN countries

are seeking self-development, it also attaches importance to the long-term and

the sustainable integration process and ASEAN community building, he said.

Referring to the coming into force of "ASEAN Charter"

on Dec. 15, 2008 which marked the embarkation on a new stage of the process of

ASEAN integration, Ye assured that China would as always support the building of

the ASEAN community and its integration process.

Touching on the development of relations between

China and ASEAN, Ye said since China's establishment of dialogue with ASEAN in

1991, the bilateral ties developed rapidly. In 2003, the two sides established

strategic partnership aiming at peace and prosperity. Fostered by leaders of

both sides, China-ASEAN relations have gradually heading for maturation and

all-sided development.

Politically, he said, mutual understanding and mutual

trust continued to increase. Economically, China and ASEAN have realized ahead

of a target of 200 billion U.S. dollars' bilateral trade for2010.

On the security aspects, the two sides continued to

realize the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" and

through efforts of dialogue and coordination, it brought about reduced

disparities, expanded common views and secured regional peace and stability.

Culturally, the two sides enhanced mutual

understanding and friendship and extend mutually beneficial cooperation through

sponsoring seminar of young entrepreneurs and that on cultural property.

Ye stressed that China and ASEAN are good neighbors,

friends and partners, saying that the Chinese government always attaches

importance to the development of relations with the ASEAN and strive for the

enhancement of neighborly and friendly cooperative ties with all ASEAN nations

under the basis of "mutual respect, equality and mutual trust, mutual benefit

and cooperation for win-win".

He expressed genuine hope to continue efforts along

with ASEAN for the consolidation and development of the strategic partnership

towards peace and prosperity in order to enhance joint development and realize

mutual benefit and win-win.