On 10 April 2009, Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council arrived at the coastal city of Pattaya, Thailand for the East Asia Leaders' Meetings scheduled to begin on 11 April. Due to the domestic situation in Thailand, the Thai government decided to postpone the meetings to later times. On the way back to China, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who was accompanying Premier Wen on the trip, gave a briefing to the reporters traveling with the delegation.

Minister Yang said that the international financial crisis is still spreading and deepening, and has taken a heavy toll on the Asian countries. Countries in East Asia share a strong aspiration to strengthen cooperation to tide over the difficulties. The East Asia Leaders' Meetings are an important mechanism for regional cooperation. There were high expectations from the participants that the meetings achieve consensus and yield substantive results. China has long been actively advocating and promoting East Asia cooperation. Despite the recent instability and escalating anti-government protests in Thailand, the Thai government had reaffirmed that it was able to control the situation to ensure that the meetings would take place as planned. ASEAN countries also hoped to see China play an important role at the meetings so as to promote East Asia cooperation and work with all countries to tide over the difficulties. Premier Wen's decisive decision to attend the meetings as scheduled demonstrated the sincerity, sense of responsibility and confidence of the Chinese government toward enhanced East Asia cooperation.

Minister Yang said that Premier Wen had planned to put forward the following important proposals during the meetings on how to work together to counter the crisis and promote East Asia cooperation: First, put countering the financial crisis on the top of the cooperation agenda and focus on addressing the most prominent and pressing issues facing this region so as to minimize the adverse impact of the crisis. Second, seize the opportunities in the midst of the crisis, make the cooperation in all areas more substantive and robust and advance regional integration in an all-round manner. Third, bear in mind the common and long-term interests, unswervingly advance East Asia integration and promote regional peace and prosperity. Premier Wen had also planned to propose some specific policy initiatives which mainly include the following: set up a China-ASEAN Fund on Investment Cooperation totaling US$10 billion and accelerate the construction of infrastructure networks linking China and ASEAN countries and improve their interconnectivity; in the coming three to five years, provide ASEAN countries with US$15 billion credit, including US$1.7 billion concessional loans, for cooperation projects between the two sides; provide a total of RMB270 million in special assistance to Cambodia, the Laos and Myanmar to help them overcome the difficulties; provide another US$5 million to the China-ASEAN Cooperation Fund to promote all-round cooperation between the two sides; set aside 300,000 tons of rice as special reserves for the Project on East Asia Emergency Rice Reserve to bolster regional food security; train 1,000 agricultural technical personnel for ASEAN countries in the next three years; provide another 2,000 government scholarships and 200 MPA scholarships to the developing members of the East Asia Summit in the next five years; and inject US$900,000 into the 10+3 Cooperation Fund. Premier Wen had planned to have an in-depth exchange of views with other leaders on such topics as the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization, the establishment of the Asian Bond Market, increasing the regional Self-manage Reserve Pooling, expanding the size of bilateral currency swaps and the number of participating countries, advancing the 10+3 Free Trade Area and cooperation among China, Japan and the ROK. According to the agenda, the China-ASEAN Investment Agreement would be signed after the 10+1 Summit, marking the successful conclusion of the FTA negotiations. The China-ASEAN Free Trade Area will be established in full in 2010 as scheduled. It will further cement China-ASEAN relations and have an important and far-reaching impact on East Asia cooperation.

Minister Yang said that it was regrettable that after leaders from ASEAN countries, China, Japan and the ROK had arrived at Pattaya, large numbers of anti-government protesters besieged the main venue for the meetings and blocked all major roads in the city, making it impossible for delegations to enter the venue. Under such circumstances, the Chinese side remained calm throughout the process and waited patiently, hoping that the situation would turn around. Acting in a responsible spirit, the Chinese side stayed in touch with Thailand, ASEAN, Japan and the ROK. Premier Wen talked with leaders of relevant countries in person and made every possible effort until the last minute. After being informed by Prime Minister Abhisit of Thailand on the decision to postpone the meetings, Premier Wen said that as a friendly neighbor and the chair of China, Japan and ROK cooperation, the Chinese side understood the decision of the Thai government and hoped that Thailand would restore stability and maintain economic and social development. China would continue to promote the China-Thailand relationship of good-neighborliness and cooperation and the 10+1 and 10+3 cooperation. Premier Wen stressed that the policies and measures of China on promoting China-ASEAN cooperation would not change because of the postponement. Premier Wen reaffirmed the above-mentioned positions when he met some leaders of ASEAN countries at the airport upon departure. He affirmed that China would still actively participate in the meetings when the conditions are ripe. The sincerity and confidence of Premier Wen touched the leaders and were highly appreciated.

Minister Yang pointed out at the end that China is firmly committed to promoting East Asia cooperation with all sincerity and has taken concrete actions towards that end. Although the meetings had not taken place as scheduled, the Chinese side would stay in close consultation and coordination with ASEAN and other countries concerned and earnestly follow up on the agreed cooperation plans and actions. China is ready to work with East Asian countries to overcome the difficulties. China believes that East Asia cooperation will get over the rainy days and embrace a bright sunny future.