NANNING — Vice-Premier Han Zheng on Sept 11 met with leaders attending the 15th China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, to be held from Sept 12 to 15 in Nanning, the capital city of South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Han, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, extended a welcome to the foreign leaders and said China stands ready to work with member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to take the 15th anniversary of the establishment of China-ASEAN strategic partnership as an opportunity to strengthen coordination, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and make contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for China and ASEAN.

During his meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Han congratulated Cambodia on becoming the featured country of the expo. He said leaders of the two countries have met many times in recent years, and have reached consensus on inheriting and carrying forward the traditional friendship between the two countries, leading bilateral relations to the best period in history.

Han suggested the two sides take the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations as an opportunity to intensify high-level exchanges, speed up the synergy of development strategies, jointly build the Belt and Road, expand pragmatic cooperation in various fields, solidify friendly public opinions, and make joint efforts to build a community of strategic importance with a shared future for the two countries.

Hun Sen said Cambodia attaches great importance to China-ASEAN Expo and is honored to become the featured country of the expo. He extended gratitude for China’s support for Cambodia’s economic development and improvement of people’s livelihood.

He said Cambodia is committed to developing friendly relations with China and is willing to take part in the construction of the Belt and Road, so as to build a stronger Cambodia-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Vice-Premier Han Zheng (R), also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with Myanmar’s Vice President U Myint Swe in Nanning, South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Sept 11, 2018. U Myint Swe is in Nanning to attend the 15th China-ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, to be held from Sept 12 to 15. [Photo/Xinhua]

During his meeting with Myanmar’s Vice-President U Myint Swe, Han said China and Myanmar are friendly neighbors and leaders of the two countries have met many times and reached important consensuses, charting the direction of bilateral relations in a new era.

He called on the two sides to implement the consensuses, maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, forge ahead the synergy of development strategies, speed up the implementation of large projects and projects related to people’s livelihood, and jointly promote the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

“China supports Myanmar’s peace process, and will continue to play a constructive role,” Han said.

U Myint Swe said the China-ASEAN Expo has become an important platform for cementing friendly cooperation between China and ASEAN’s member states and this year’s expo will achieve fruitful results.

He said Myanmar cherishes the traditional friendship with China, thanks China for its support for the peace and reconciliation process, and will implement the consensuses reached by leaders of the two countries.

Vice-Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue in Nanning, South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Sept 11, 2018. Vuong Dinh Hue is in Nanning to attend the 15th China-ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, to be held from Sept 12 to 15. [Photo/Xinhua]

During his meeting with Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue, Han said China and Vietnam are community of strategic importance with a shared future.

“To consolidate neighborhood friendship and to promote win-win cooperation is in line with the strategic interests of the two parties and the two countries, and is the common expectation of the two peoples,” Han said.

He suggested the two sides implement high-level consensus, maintain strategic communication, improve the level and scale of pragmatic cooperation, properly handle differences, and push forward the bilateral relations to achieve new development.

The deputy prime minister said this year’s expo will exhibit the friendly cooperation between ASEAN and China. He said Vietnam admires China’s development achievements and hopes to learn from China’s experience in reform and opening-up.

He said Vietnam is ready to work with China to implement the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, enhance exchanges and cooperation in various fields, properly handle maritime issues, and jointly promote a sustained and healthy development of bilateral relations.

Vice-Premier Han Zheng (R), also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with Lao Deputy Prime Minister Somdy Duangdy in Nanning, South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Sept 11, 2018. Somdy is in Nanning to attend the 15th China-ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, to be held from Sept 12 to 15. [Photo/Xinhua]

During his meeting with Lao Deputy Prime Minister Somdy Duangdy, Han said relations between China and Laos are special and close, and the two sides are experiencing the best bilateral relations ever in history.

He said China is ready to work with Laos to implement results of mutual visits between leaders of the two countries, enhance experience exchanges on party and country governance, jointly build the Belt and Road, carry out key projects on production capacity investment and cooperation, forge ahead people-to-people exchanges, hold the China-Laos year of tourism, deepen the understanding and friendship between the two peoples, so as to push forward the building of a strategic community with a shared future for China and Laos to achieve new progress.

Somdy said China-ASEAN Expo has played a positive role in cementing trade, investment, tourism cooperation between the two sides and Laos stands ready to work with China to build an unbreakable, strategic community with a shared future for Laos and China.

Vice-Premier Han Zheng (R), also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with Seif Ali Iddi, Second Vice President of Zanzibar, Tanzania, in Nanning, South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Sept 11, 2018. Tanzania is an invited partner of this year’s China-ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Expo. [Photo/Xinhua]

Han also met with Seif Ali Iddi, Second Vice-President of Zanzibar, Tanzania on Sept 11. Han called on Tanzania to give full play of the China-ASEAN Expo to further enhance bilateral trade and investment cooperation, and inject new impetus into the bilateral relations.

The two sides also exchanged views on building an even stronger community with a shared future for China and Africa, after the successful conclusion of the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Tanzania is an invited partner of this year’s China-ASEAN Expo.