Wang Yang, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, met with visiting ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan in Guangzhou on May 10, 2008.

    On behalf of provincial party committee and government, Wang extended his warm welcome to the visiting guests as well as his gratitude to Surin for the great importance he places on developing friendly Sino-ASEAN relations since he assumed the secretaryship this January.

    “Under the guidance of China-ASEAN dialogue mechanism, Guangdong ASEAN links and cooperation have maintained a good momentum over the years,” Wang said.

    “Accounting for one fourth of the country’s total, Guangdong-ASEAN trade volume reached US$56 billion in 2007, up 26.75 percent from the previous year.

    “There are a total of 1,960 ASEAN-invested enterprises in the province to date with a total of 3,892 direct investment projects.

    “Guangdong also enjoys good cooperative relations with ASEAN in tourism, culture and other areas.”

    I believe regional economic integration is the tendency of the development in the world, Wang said, adding ASEAN has achieved cheerful results in economic integration promotion and common development of regional economy.

    “There are great potentials for Guangdong ASEAN cooperation due to their close geographic location and cultural affinity as well as strong economic complementability,” Wang said.

    “Guangdong places great importance on the economic links with ASEAN countries. We will encourage and organize enterprises to invest there, strengthen the development and utilization of energy resources, and intensify mutual cooperation in tourism, modern logistics and other areas,” Wang said.

    “We will also push forward the establishment of regular meeting mechanism with ASEAN in order to tackle existent problems and make more achievements in mutual cooperation,” Wang added.

    Surin spoke highly of the important contributions made by Guangdong-based overseas Chinese community in ASEAN countries in the promotion of China ASEAN trade ties.

    ASEAN is committed to promoting economic integration aimed to establish common market for consumption and investment and achieve free movement of goods, capital and persons by 2015, Surin said.

    “ASEAN is willing to strengthen its cooperation with China, in particular with Guangdong, and welcomes Guangdong to set up products exhibition and distribution center in ASEAN countries,” Surin said.

    Vice Governor Wan Qingliang, Ge Changwei, Deputy Secretary General of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, Fu Lang, Director General of GDFAO, Li Miaojuan, Director General of Provincial Development and Reform Commission, and Liang Yaowen, Director General of Provincial Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, attended the meeting.