The Chinese ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said here Friday that making concerted efforts to ward off the current financial crisis is the most urgent task faced by China and the ASEAN.

Xue Hanqin, China's first ambassador to the 10-nation bloc, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview that China should join hands with ASEAN countries in strengthening financial cooperation as well as fostering and expanding each other's markets in a bid to scale down their reliance on developed countries in the economic areas.

In this regard, China has become a forerunner by proposing to establish a China-ASEAN free trade area, Xue said. "We are making efforts to promote the free trade area and we know that difficulties will arise from this process. However, given the steadfast and unswerving political will to achieve this goal on both sides, I believe that pushing forward the process will contribute to a lasting economic prosperity."

On China-ASEAN cooperation, the ambassador highlighted the China-ASEAN Expo, which will enter its sixth edition this year in China's Nanning, as an important platform which will play a role in further enhancing the friendly cooperation ties between China and ASEAN members.

As China's first ambassador to the ASEAN appointed on Dec. 30, 15 days after the ASEAN Charter went into effective, Xue said the China will attach great importance to this framework document and make thorough research.

Upbeat on the prospects of China-ASEAN ties, Ambassador Xue said leaders from the two parties will pursue this topic at the upcoming East Asian summit scheduled in April.

Recalling the China-ASEAN relationship, Xue said the past several years have witnessed strengthened political mutual trust, deepened trade and economic ties and ever prosperous cultural exchanges.

Giving her job description of the Chinese ambassador to the ASEAN as communicator, contact person, coordinator and adviser, she reaffirmed her belief that the cooperative relationship between China and the ASEAN will serve the interests of peoples on both sides and promote bilateral friendly ties.

Source: Xinhua