China on Wednesday set up a cross-departmental working mechanism in a bid to enhance internal coordination for improving regional cooperation in Asia.

Twenty-two Chinese ministries and commissions are involved in the mechanism, including the Foreign Ministry, the State Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Commerce. Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan was appointed to head the working mechanism.

Regional cooperation in Asia has improved greatly since the 1990s, and recent years have witnessed closer economic and political exchanges between China and other Asian countries.

Tang said at the mechanism's first plenary meeting that improving regional cooperation and advancing regional integration has become an important trend in the international economic field and by actively participating into the process, China will meet the needs of its objective long-term development.

"Treating neighbors as friends and partners" has been set as China's foreign policy in dealing with relations with neighboring countries, Tang said, adding that improving friendship with neighbors and promoting regional cooperation are important tasks for China's diplomacy in the region.

Tang said China should attach great importance to the Asian regional cooperation, improve the sense of cooperation, make comprehensive and detailed plans, keep expanding the common interests with neighboring countries and achieve common development and prosperity in the region.