Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao paid an official visit to Singapore on Nov.18 and later attended a series of important regional meetings there, including the ASEAN plus Three summit, the East Asia summit and the trilateral meeting of the leaders of China, Japan and South Korea.

This visit is highly fruitful as it has deepened China's good-neighborly relations with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and strengthened cooperation among East Asian countries, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who accompanied Wen on the visit, told Chinese media Wednesday night.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (5th,L) attends the 11th the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-China Summit in Singapore on Nov. 20, 2007. (Xinhua Photo)

PRAGMATIC COOPERATION IN EAST ASIA BOOSTED

While participating in the regional meetings, Premier Wen reviewed cooperation among East Asian nations in the last decade and expounded on China's policies on its future development, Yang said.

Wen stressed that the cooperation should be based on mutual respect and equality in order to realize common development and prosperity in the whole region.

The premier said China will continue to seek harmonious political relations with countries in this region and boost cooperation in economy, culture and security with them to build a peaceful, harmonious and prosperous East Asia.

Wen also made a number of pragmatic proposals for cooperation between China and ASEAN, covering such fields as politics, security, economy and trade, environment, and sustainable development, said Yang.

The premier urged stepped-up research on a free trade area between the two sides and the connection of roads, railways, air routes as well as information networks between the two.

At the East Asia summit, Wen elaborated on China's policies on climate change and signed with the other leaders the Singapore Declaration on Climate Changes, Energy and Environment.

Wen's remarks and proposals were widely agreed and leaders of the attending countries all pledged to work with China in pushing forward cooperation in East Asia and promoting regional prosperity and stability, Yang said.

GOOD NEIGHBORLY FRIENDSHIP ENHANCED

The Chinese premier also attended a series of bilateral meetings to exchange views with other Asian leaders on enhancing cooperation and good neighborly friendship, Yang said.

Wen held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and they agreed to increase dialogue and cooperation and work together to push forward mutually beneficial strategic relations between China and Japan.

They also promised to maintain high-level contacts and enhance mutual trust in the political and security fields. The two sides set 2008 the year of friendly exchanges between Chinese and Japanese youths.

Wen agreed in talks with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun to push ahead bilateral cooperation as well as the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula's nuclear issue.

During the meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the two leaders spoke highly of the progress in bilateral ties in the past year and pledged to enrich the China-India strategic partnership of cooperation.

The Chinese premier also met leaders from New Zealand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam, exchanging views with them on bilateral ties and mutually beneficial cooperation, according to the foreign minister.

FRIENDLY, MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL COOPERATION WITH SINGAPORE DEEPENED

During his visit to Singapore, Wen met with Singaporean President S.R. Nathan, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, and held talks with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

The two sides reached a broad consensus on deepening the friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation. They decided to shore up economic cooperation, step up negotiations on building a free trade zone, build a dialogue mechanism in national defense as well as coordination in international affairs.

In the talks, the Singaporean side reiterated its adherence to the one-China policy, said the Chinese foreign minister.

LONG-TERM OPENING UP POLICY ON BASIS OF MUTUAL BENEFIT REAFFIRMED

Yang said the international community is widely concerned about the track of development that China will choose in the future, and that the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China convened in October highlighted China's resolve to pursue reform and opening up on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win progress.

Delivering a speech entitled "Only an Open and Inclusive Nation Can Be Strong" at the the National University of Singapore, Wen elaborated on China's opening up strategy.

Wen said China's opening up policy, based on mutual benefit, is long-term, comprehensive in nature, and that China will not change the policy since a right policy benefits the country and enjoys the support of the people.

"China's opening up is comprehensive in nature. We are open not only to the developed countries, but also to the developing countries. We are open not only in economy, but also in fields such as science, technology, education and culture," Wen said.

Only on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win progress can opening up endure and be conducive to the fundamental interests of all peoples and peace and prosperity of the world, he added.

Yang said Wen's speech drew much attention and positive reactions from the international community and boosted its understanding of and confidence in China's continuing pursuit of the opening up policy. Climate change tops Chinese premier's address at East Asia summit.

Photo taken on Nov. 21, 2007 shows the meeting place of the third East Asia Summit (EAS) in Singapore. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, leaders of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries, and those of Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand attend the summit.(Xinhua Photo)

Climate change and environmental issues took center stage during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's address at a regional summit here Wednesday.

Wen, who was in Singapore attending the 3rd East Asia Summit, outlined China's views and position on climate change and its measures to tackle the problem.

The Chinese premier called climate a global issue and urged countries to work together to address the issue.

Developed countries should face up to their historical responsibilities, take the lead in cutting emissions and honor their commitment on technological transfer and financial aid to developing countries, he said.

Wen said climate change is "ultimately a development issue" and dismissed the notions of tackling climate change at the expense of economic growth or pursuing economic growth with no regard to climate change.

"We should pursue economic growth, social development and environmental protection in a coordinated and balanced way, and develop models of production and consumption compatible with sustainable development," he said.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (C) attends the third East Asia Summit (EAS) in Singapore, Nov. 21, 2007. Leaders of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries, and those of Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand also attend the summit.(Xinhua Photo)

The "common but differentiated responsibilities" established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change represent international consensus and all countries should uphold the Convention and its Kyoto Protocol as the basic framework for international cooperation, he said.

Given the decisive role technology plays in mitigating and adapting to climate change, the international community should increase financial input and information sharing and step up cooperation in research, development and innovation of technology, he said.

The Chinese premier said adaptation to climate change is of the greatest concerns to developing countries and it is a major part of the efforts to address climate change.

Developed countries should "actively help developing countries build capacity for adaptation and managing weather-related disasters," Wen said.

China "has taken a number of policy measures to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and has made important progress in this effort" and the Chinese government takes environmental protection as a basic state policy, he said.

China has set specific targets on greenhouse gas emission control to be met in 2010, including cutting energy intensity of GDP by 20 percent from the 2005 level and freezing industrial emissions of nitrous oxide at the 2005 level, he said.

"China will shoulder its due international responsibilities and obligations," he added.

Wen also called on China's East Asian neighbors to join hands in addressing climate change and promoting harmonious, clean and sustainable development in East Asia.

At the end of the summit, Wen and leaders from Southeast Asian countries, South Korea, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand signed the Singapore Declaration on Climate Change, Energy and the Environment.