Youth in the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN)
member countries and China should promote and enhance communication
and mutual understanding in a bid to put a strong foundation of the
relations among their countries, professor from the Chinese Academy
of Social Science Lu Jianren said in Jakarta on Monday.
Talking to the youth representatives from ASEAN member countries
and China during the two-day ASEAN-China Lecturer Series, Lu said
that the communication could also boost economic and cultural
communication and cooperation among their countries.
"We should encourage and promote bilateral communication between
the youth, open more channels and widen the areas for communication
and cooperation," he said.
The professor said that the communication was important by the
reason that the youth shouldered historical responsibility of
consolidating, inheriting and developing Sino-ASEAN traditional
friendship and promoting bilateral relations.
Lu's speech, together with some other speeches and seminars, was
part of the ASEAN-China Lecture Series, which are held in China and
ASEAN countries to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the
establishment of dialogue relations between both sides.
Since both sides formed dialogue relations 15 years ago, the
ties between ASEAN and China have gone through three stages, namely
the establishment of full dialogue framework in 1996, the
establishment of friendly neighborhood and mutual trust in 1997 and
the establishment of strategic partnership in 2003.
(Xinhua News Agency May 9, 2006)
