China attaches great importance on the important role played by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum in the Asian region, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue Thursday.

Zhang said at a regular press conference that China always speaks highly of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which is the most important forum in the Asia-Pacific region on cooperation in political and security fields.

The ARF played a positive role in further strengthening mutual trust and cooperation between its member countries, and in safeguarding the regional peace and stability, Zhang said.

The 11th Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the ARF will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing will attend the meeting, Zhang said.

As to the issue concerned with the inclusion of Pakistan in the ARF, which will be discussed during the meeting, Zhang said Pakistan's participation to the ARF will be conducive for the regional peace and stability.

Established in 1994, the ARF was a forum of dialogues between ten ASEAN member countries and 12 countries in Asia and the Pacific plus the European Union.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Source: Xinhua