Encouraging fresh headway has been made in the 10+3 cooperation over the past years, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Monday in Kuala Lumpur at the 9th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Plus China, Japan and South Korea (10+3).

"Thanks to our concerted efforts ... 10+3 economic cooperation and trade have continued to grow," said Wen, who arrived in the Malaysian capital Sunday after visiting France, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Portugal.

In his speech "Work Together for a Better Future Through Stronger Cooperation," he said that an academic study on the feasibility of an East Asia Free Trade Area has been formally launched and a network of free trade arrangements is taking shape.

Financial cooperation has also deepened, resulting in 17 agreements on bilateral swap arrangement (BSA) signed under the framework of the Chiang Mai Initiative, he said, adding that regional cooperation in such non-traditional security areas as combating transnational crimes has been stepped up, he said.

"East Asia is now at a critical stage of development. With economic globalization surging, regional economic integration has become the call of the day for East Asia development," Wen stressed.

He noted that the 10+3 has evolved into a system of cooperation with fairly complete mechanisms, increasing substance, strong vitality and huge potential.

"It has served as a catalyst in cultivating and strengthening the sense of identity of East Asia and boosted development in the region," he said.

The 10+3 has adopted an approach featuring having dialogue on an equal footing, consensus-building, making gradual progress, and achieving mutual benefit and win-win results.

"It seeks to give full play to the strength of diversity in the region and to promote common development."

Having made huge achievements, Wen said, the 10+3 respects ASEAN's leading role in promoting regional cooperation and bases itself on existing ASEAN cooperation arrangements.

He said the 10+3 accommodates "the interests of small and medium-sized countries while bringing into play the initiatives of China, Japan and the ROK."

The Chinese premier added that the 10+3 is committed to open regionalism, saying it is not closed, exclusive, or targeted against any particular party.

"This has both promoted growth in East Asia and created ample development opportunities for other regions. This will contribute to the common prosperity and progress of East Asia and the world at large," he said.

Source: Xinhua