Overview: During the ASEAN Bangkok Summit in 1995 a proposal was put forward that the Leadership Meeting between ASEAN and China, Japan and Korea should be convened. In 1997 Malaysia, as the rotary presidency of ASEAN, actively facilitated the convening of the Unofficial Leadership Meeting between ASEAN and China, Japan and Korea while hosting the second ASEAN unofficial summit.

Time and Venue: The Leadership Meeting between ASEAN and China, Japan and Korea is held once a year and sponsored by ASEAN. The first Unofficial Leadership Meeting was held in Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia from December 15 to 16, 1997. The second such meeting was held in Hanoi of Viet Nam from December 15 to 16, 1998. The third Unofficial Leadership Meeting was convened in Manila of the Philippines on November 28, 1999. At this meeting the 10+3 Unofficial Leadership Meeting was adopted in replace of the previous 9+3 Unofficial Leadership Meeting as the member states of ASEAN were enlarged to 10 due to Cambodia's accession to ASEAN. The fourth Leadership Meeting was held in Singapore from November 24 to 25, 2000, during which the name of the meeting changed to 10+3 Leadership Meeting. The fifth Leadership Meeting was held in Brunei from November 5 to 6, 2001.

Participants: 10 member states of ASEAN (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam) and China, Japan and Korea.

Activities:

1. The first meeting

The first Unofficial Leadership Meeting between ASEAN and China, Japan and Korea, in which President Jiang Zemin participated, was held in Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia on December 15, 1997.

The main issues of the meeting were: (1) The perspective of East Asia in the 21st century; (2) Global relations and the Asian-European relations in particular; (3) Cooperation on maintaining the stability of regional economy, especially on handling the financial crisis in Southeast Asia; (4) Cooperation on strengthening regional economic links, including cooperative development of ASEAN-the Mekong River Basin; (5) Coordination and Cooperation on international economic issues.

President Jiang Zemin said at the meeting that from the perspectives of politics, economy, culture and geography East Asia is a force that can hardly be overlooked in the current world. In order to maintain the development momentum all East Asian countries should:

-adhere to the principle of mutual respect, equal treatment, mutual reciprocity and benefit and common development;

-form an open cooperation model featuring complementarity of each other's advantages, non-exclusive and non-discriminatory;

-strengthen economic and technological cooperation and transfer of hi-tech and establish a regional economic structure based on balance and cooperation;

-strengthen coordination on policies and build a safe economic environment;

-establish a new idea of security, develop cooperation through dialogue, seek common ground while reserving differences in order to ensure a long-term peace and order in the region.

Attaching great importance to cooperation in East Asia, China is willing to make joint efforts with other countries to shape up a development pattern based on equal competition and cooperation for mutual benefit and play an important role in promoting the establishment of a fair and rational new international political and economic order of peace and stability.

2. The second meeting

The second Unofficial Leadership Meeting between ASEAN and China, Japan and Korea, in which Vice President Hu Jintao participated, was held in Hanoi of Viet Nam on December 15, 1998. The main topics were: (1) Cooperation between ASEAN and China, Japan and Korea on restoring regional economy; (2) Cooperation between ASEAN and China, Japan and Korea on maintaining and promoting regional peace, security and stability oriented toward the 21st century.

At the meeting Vice President Hu Jintao elaborated on a three-point stand on enhancing cooperation in East Asia: to increase confidence of the perspective of development in East Asia; to carry forward the cooperation for mutual benefit among East Asian countries; to actively participate in reforming and adjusting the international financial institutions. In order to strengthen coordination and cooperation in economic field and financial sector in particular, Vice President Hu put forward a concrete proposal of holding meetings of deputy heads of finance and central bank within the 9+3 framework.

In line with the Chinese proposal the first session of deputy heads of finance and central bank within the 9+3 framework was held in Hanoi of Viet Nam in March 1999. The discussion focused on supervising the flowing of short-term capital and reforming the international financial institutions. Chinese Vice Minister of Finance Jin Liqun and Vice President of the People's Bank Xiao Gang attended the meeting. The meeting exerted a positive influence on further stabilizing regional economy and financial situation.

3. The third meeting

The third Unofficial Leadership Meeting between ASEAN and China, Japan and Korea, in which Premier Zhu Rongji participated, was convened in Manila of the Philippines on November 28, 1999. The main issue was cooperation in East Asia.

Premier Zhu elaborated on the Chinese position on the direction, aim and principle of cooperation in East Asia, stressing that the key areas of cooperation should be in the economic, financial and scientific and technological fields in view of the reality and mulitiplicity of East Asia. He advocated to institutionalize the meeting of deputy heads of finance and central bank and in the light of need to hold meetings of heads of finance and central bank on what has already been achieved. Premier Zhu also made an appeal of paying great attention to enhancing cooperation in hi-tech field and making joint studies over promoting exchange of science and technology, developing human resources, carrying rational transfer of industrial technology in the region as well as sustainable development. The meeting issued a joint declaration on cooperation in East Asia, defining the direction and key areas of cooperation in East Asia.

4. The fourth meeting

The fourth Leadership Meeting between ASEAN and China, Japan and Korea, in which Premier Zhu Rongji participated, was held in Singapore from November 24 to 25, 2000. The main topic was the future of East Asia and promoting cooperation in East Asia.

Premier Zhu proposed that the 10+3 Leadership Meeting should be the main channel of cooperation among East Asian countries and the framework of cooperation on finance, trade and investment should be gradually established in order to realize the regional economic integration to a higher degree. Premier Zhu also put forward a series of practical initiatives of strengthening cooperation on information technology, agriculture, development of human resources and development of the Mekong River Basin, which won wide appreciation of other participants.

5. The fifth meeting

The fifth Leadership Meeting between ASEAN and China, Japan and Korea, in which Premier Zhu Rongji participated, was held in Brunei from November 5 to 6, 2001. Premier Zhu put forward a series of important proposals and suggestions over cooperation in East Asia, stressing that the 10+3 Leadership Meeting should be carried forward and elevated to a new high based on the principle of mutual reciprocity and benefit, advancing step by step and laying emphasis on practical results. While concentrating on economic cooperation, 10+3 Leadership Meeting should gradually launch dialogue and cooperation in the field of politics and security, starting first in the non-traditional security issues. The leaders of other countries gave a positive response to Premier Zhu's advocate.