PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia highly values the 15-year-old relations between ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and China, which have developed remarkably in recent years to cover all sectors and have transformed from the level of dialogue to that of strategic partnership, Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong said in a written statement exclusively for Xinhua.

"Both ASEAN and China have shown their firm commitment in expanding and deepening their cooperation in a comprehensive manner and have advanced their cooperation to the level of strategic partnership which therefore contributes to regional peace, security, stability and development in the wider Asia-Pacific region," said Hor, who is also the minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation.

On political and security issues, the two sides' cooperation has moved far beyond the confidence-building level to reach political maturity, he said.

"In this regard, both sides signed a Joint Declaration of the Heads of State/Government of the Member States of ASEAN and the People's Republic of China on the Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Bali, (Indonesia), 2003, which serves as the blueprint for strengthening the strategic partnership between ASEAN and China to ensure greater peace and prosperity in the region," Hor added.

At the same time, he said, ASEAN has greatly appreciated the role of China in the area of development cooperation, particularly as China has been actively supporting ASEAN's integration and the Greater Mekong Sub-region integration.

Both sides have also increased the frequency of high-level exchanges, and have seen in the past few years many visits by Chinese leaders to ASEAN member countries and those of ASEAN heads of state and government to China, he said.

Meanwhile, he said, ASEAN welcomes China's intention to sign the Protocol for the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), making China the first country to formally support the agreement.

"China's accession to SEANWFZ will further strengthen peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region as a whole," he added.

On the issue of the South China Sea, the leaders of ASEAN and China welcomed the progress made by both sides toward the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DoC), aimed at transforming the South China Sea into a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship, Hor said.

"Both ASEAN and China look forward to the eventual conclusion of a regional code of conduct in the South China Sea," he added.

On the Joint Declaration of ASEAN and China on Cooperation in the Field of Non-Traditional Security, signed by the two sides here in 2002, ASEAN and China have undertaken a number of activities to promote information exchanges and enhance capacity-building and practical cooperation, said Hor.

"At present, both sides are studying ways to enhance cooperation between the immigration authorities of ASEAN and China, as well as to compile a Police Handbook to help the law enforcement agencies of both sides to better understand each other's legal procedures," he said. "This area of cooperation has been a key priority for ASEAN and China in combating increasing threats of non-traditional security issues."

As for ASEAN-China economic cooperation, Cambodia is pleased with the progress in the ongoing negotiations toward the establishment of an ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (FTA), and notes with satisfaction that the Agreement on Trade in Goods under the ASEAN-China FTA has been implemented since July 2005, he said.

"The ASEAN-China Trade Negotiating Committee is still negotiating the agreements on trade in services and on investment. Both ASEAN and China hope that the agreement on trade in services could be concluded as early as possible," Hor added.

To strengthen ASEAN-China relations, both sides have agreed to commemorate the 15th Anniversary of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations as the Year of Friendship and Cooperation between ASEAN and China. In this regard, the leaders of ASEAN and China have endorsed a list of commemorative activities to celebrate the anniversary, he said.

"For many commemorative activities, including the Report of the ASEAN-China Eminent Persons Group to look ahead in the next 15 years of their cooperation, the leaders of ASEAN and China agreed to convene the ASEAN-China Commemorative Summit this year to reaffirm their commitment to further enhance their strategic partnership and pragmatic cooperation in order to advance the ASEAN-China relationship to an even higher level," Hor said.

Finally, Hor said, Cambodia had full confidence that the commemorative summit would be successful and fruitful, as all leaders of ASEAN and China would gather for the auspicious, historic meeting, contributing to the further strengthening of the ASEAN-China cooperation and strategic partnership and moving toward building an East Asia Community for the future.

(Xinhua)