On June 19, 2003, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing addressed in the dialogue meeting between China and ASEAN members (10+1 ) held in Phnom Penh. He said that the relationship between China and ASEAN had grown rapidly in the past decade, featuring the establishment of overall dialogue relations at the very beginning to the forging of good-neighborly partnership based on mutual trust for the time being. Li noted that the political mutual trust between China and ASEAN had consolidated continuously with economic exchanges closer and cooperation between them more fruitful.

Referring to the year 2002, Li said in that year China signed the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation with ASEAN to kick off free trade negotiations with ASEAN. China issued the Joint Declaration on Cooperation in the Filed of Non-traditional Security Issues to open new room for cooperation, and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea to reach common views on settling disputes peacefully and conducting cooperation in the Sea while maintaining regional stability. Li also said that when the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) began to hit the region in this April, China and ASEAN held a special meeting of top leaders and made a series of measures of cooperation, which manifested their resolution and confidence of jointly handling the problem with one mind. He said that the cooperation in all these fields had resulted in real benefits for both sides and made strategic contribution to the peace, stability and development for the region and the world at large.

Li also raised some concrete proposals and ideas for the further development of overall cooperation between China and ASEAN. He stressed that the Chinese government was willing to make joint efforts with the member countries of ASEAN to enrich cooperation in various fields continuously and to realize common progress and mutual development in the fields of politics, economy, security dialogue and cooperation.