Xi on diplomacy with neighboring countries

NANNING - Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping said on Friday that the growth of China-ASEAN relations shows China's diplomacy has lived up to the principle of building amity and partnership with neighbors.

Xi made the remarks when addressing the opening ceremony of the ninth China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit that opened in Nanning, capital of South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping, right, meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung as they attend the 9th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, capital of South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Sept 20, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

"We are always committed to friendship and good-neighborliness, resulting in enhanced mutual understanding and trust," Xi said.

In his speech entitled "Work Together Toward Deeper Cooperation and Sustained Development," Xi said among the ASEAN's dialogue partners, China is the first to establish a strategic partnership and the first to start the Free Trade Area process with the ASEAN.

"Leaders of China and ASEAN countries have visited each other like family members, and visits to ASEAN countries by Chinese leaders are almost annual events," the Vice-President said.

He pointed out that the two sides have maintained close communication and coordination on major international and regional issues and worked jointly to safeguard the interests of developing countries.

The ninth China-ASEAN Expo opened in Nanning on Friday, with about 4,600 booths from China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to be exhibited at the expo.