From November 18 to 21, 2007, Premier Wen Jiabao, at invitation, paid an official visit to Singapore and attended the 11th meeting of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China, Japan and South Korea (10+3), the 11th meeting of leaders of ASEAN and China (10+1), the 3rd East Asia Summit and the 8th meeting of leaders of China, Japan and South Korea. Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi who accompanied Premier Wen during the tour introduced the outcome of the visits.

Yang pointed out it is raised at the 17th National Congress of the CPC that China will continue to implement the diplomatic principles with neighboring countries of being a good partner, strengthen good-neighborly friendship and pragmatic cooperation with neighboring countries, carry forward regional cooperation and jointly build a regional environment with peace and stability, equality and mutual trust and win-win cooperation. The visits of Premier Wen are a major diplomatic event with neighboring countries to implement the spirit of the 17th CPC National Congress and have drawn wide attention from the region and the international community at large. Premier Wen participated in intense bilateral and multilateral activities during the visits. He comprehensively expounded the policies and proposition of the Chinese government and exchanged opinions on enhancing regional and bilateral cooperation with leaders of ASEAN and other related countries, which has helped strengthen mutual trust, deepen friendship and promote cooperation.

I. Promoting pragmatic cooperation in East Asia

The accelerating regional cooperation in East Asia, the coexistence of various multilateral cooperation mechanisms including ASEAN, 10+1, 10+3, East Asia Summit and the trilateral cooperation among China, Japan and South Korea as well as the expanding cooperation areas all demonstrate that it is the common aspiration of all countries in the region to realize peaceful development and mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation against the background of globalization. To develop China needs an environment in East Asia featured by peace, stability and cooperation, while China's development creates opportunities for East Asia. The long-term healthy progress of East Asia cooperation serves the fundamental interest of China and is conducive to peace and prosperity in this region, said Yang.

Premier Wen indicated repeatedly China's commitment to supporting the integration of ASEAN and East Asia cooperation. He said that China would continue to actively support and participate in East Asia cooperation, coexist in harmony politically, conduct mutually beneficial economic cooperation, and learn from each other culturally, and build mutual trust in the security field with all the other East Asian countries so as to establish peace, harmony and prosperity in the region.

Premier Wen introduced China's position and proposition on East Asia cooperation in an all-round way. He stressed that the cooperation should insist to the principles of mutual respect and equal treatment, serve the common interest and promote common development and prosperity; it should be comprehensive to push for the coordinated and sustainable economic and social progress; it should be open and inclusive, respect diversity, take 10+1 as the basis, 10+3 as the major channel and East Asia Summit as a strategic platform to realize complementation with advantages and common development.

Premier Wen raised a number of specific cooperation initiatives in the fields of politics, security, economy and trade, environment, sustainable development, culture and education. In terms of 10+1, he suggested to accelerate China-ASEAN investment agreement negotiations, speed up the development of free trade zone and advance the networking of road, railway, aviation and information of both sides. Both sides signed the MOU on strengthening cooperation on health and plant health. On 10+3, Premier Wen proposed to boost financial cooperation, speed up the multi-lateralization of "Chiang Mai Initiative", support the 10+3 cooperation fund and establish the non-traditional security cooperation platform of armed force. As to East Asia Summit, Premier Wen suggested to enhance exchanges and cooperation in such fields as energy, environmental protection and climate change. He signed the Singapore Declaration on Climate Change, Energy and Environment with leaders of other countries concerned. He also proposed to maintain contacts at various levels and expand cooperation in economy and trade, science and technology, environmental protection and logistics with Japan and South Korea.

Those proposals and initiatives of Premier Wen contain both the principled position and the specific measures and take into account both the long-term and realistic interests of all parties concerned. Keeping consistency and progressing with the times, they fully demonstrate the philosophy of scientific, harmonious, peaceful and common development and have been widely recognized. All the related parties spoke highly of China's commitment to the road of peaceful development and good-neighborly friendship and agreed that China's development offers opportunities to East Asia. They expressed the willingness of making joint efforts with China to promote peace, seek development, cope with challenges and build prosperity.

II. Increasing friendly cooperation

Yang said that Premier Wen held many bilateral meetings and reached important consensus during the visits.

During Premier Wen's meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, the two leaders agreed to strengthen dialogue and cooperation and push forward the strategic and reciprocal relations between China and Japan. The two sides will maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen dialogue on defense and accelerate consultations on the issue of East China Sea. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda will try to visit China at the end of this year or the beginning of next year. 2008 is set as the Year of Friendly Exchanges of Youth of China and Japan. The meeting is the first between the leaders of China and Japan since Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda took office and will help improve and move forward China-Japan relations.

Premier Wen and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun agreed to strengthen bilateral communications and cooperation and jointly advance the six-party talks.

Premier Wen and Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh agreed to intensify bilateral coordination and collaboration on climate change and energy security and push for progress of border negotiations through friendly consultations.

Premier Wen and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark agreed to further demonstrate flexibility to try to complete negotiations on China-New Zealand free trade zone before the end of this year.

Premier Wen also met and exchanged opinions with leaders of Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Burma on increasing good-neighborly mutual trust and strengthening bilateral cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, investment and infrastructure.

Premier Wen elaborated China's principled position on the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula and the Burma issue. All the related parties spoke highly of China's positive and constructive role in that regard.

III. Lifting China-Singapore relations to a new level

Yang said that the bilateral ties have achieved major progress since China and Singapore established diplomatic ties 17 years ago and stepped on the track of rapid, stable and mature development. The bilateral relations face sound opportunities of further development.

Premier Wen held talks with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong, met with Singaporean President S.R. Nathan, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and addressed the Singaporean business community, raising suggestions on developing China-Singapore friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation. He pointed out that the bilateral cooperation is long-term, creative and effective and focus be put on coordinating the bilateral development strategies for new achievements. China is implementing a scientific concept of development, while Singapore is pursuing the strategy of building a new Singapore. Both sides should seize the opportunity to expand cooperation space.

Both sides agreed to enhance economic and trade cooperation, advance negotiations on the free trade zone, establish the dialogue mechanism on defense and strengthen communications and coordination on international and regional issues. Premier Wen and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong signed the Framework Agreement for the Development of Tianjin Eco-city Project which marks another landmark cooperation project between the two countries following Suzhou Industrial Park.

The Singaporean side reiterated its firm adherence to the one-China policy and opposition to "Taiwan independence".

IV. Declaring China's commitment to the opening up strategy featuring mutual benefit and win-win outcome

Yang noted that under the circumstances of economic globalization and regional integration it draws wide attention from the international community that what kind of development road China follows and how China participates in international cooperation. The 17th CPC National Congress indicated China's determination and confidence of implementing reform and opening up and reiterated China's commitment to the road of peaceful development and the opening up strategy featuring mutual benefit and win-win outcome.

Premier Wen delivered a keynote speech at the National University of Singapore and expounded China's opening up strategy in a comprehensive, system and in-depth manner.

Premier Wen noted it could be concluded based on China's history that only an open and inclusive nation can be strong and an introverted nation will remain backward. China's development history over the past 30 years tells us that today's world is open and it is impossible for a country to develop by isolating itself. We are working to build socialism with distinctive Chinese characteristics, and our fundamental objective is to boost productive forces and meet the increasing material and cultural needs of the people. To meet this goal, we must remain committed to opening up while addressing issues arising in the course of domestic development and reform.

Premier Wen stressed that opening up is a basic national policy and will remain unchanged. 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. China's opening up policy is based on mutual benefit. We are committed to conducting mutually beneficial cooperation on an equal basis with all the other countries in the world. 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.

The speech of Premier Wen was reported widely by foreign media and drew extensive attention and positive responses from the international community, which is beneficial to enhancing the understanding and confidence of the outside world of China's opening up endeavor.