There exists great potential and broad prospects of beneficial cooperation either between China and Myanmar or between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Yang Houlan told Xinhua in an exclusive interview on Friday.

Myanmar President U Thein Sein, during his recent attendance at the China-ASEAN Expo and Business and Investment Summit in China, told Chinese Premier Li Keqiang that Myanmar would make further efforts in pushing the development of China-ASEAN cooperative ties, Yang said.

U Thein Sein expressed firm support of China-ASEAN cooperation as such one that benefits both sides as well as the development of the region as a whole, he said.

Ambassador Yang stressed that the continued pushing of China- Myanmar Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Partnership plays an important part of China-ASEAN cooperation. Both sides have strong aspiration to boost such strategic cooperation.

Yang said despite some different voices over some few Chinese projects, the China-Myanmar Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Partnership will be unchanged as it benefits both sides. China and Myanmar, being immediate neighbors and developing countries, have identical socio-economic development targets and obligations.

Yang briefed that "Myanmar is in a transition period. Some of our projects met with trouble. But from a far-sighted point of view, the issue can be settled through close link and friendly coordination."

He also said "Myanmar is entering into a period of socio- economic development. The inflow of foreign investment and technical know-how is the need of the country for development. It should be said our cooperation potential is immense, the space of cooperation is broad."

Briefing that there is not much disparity from stake holders of the Myanmar side over developing China-Myanmar relations and pushing bilateral friendly and cooperative ties, Yang expressed full confidence over the two countries' future prospects of cooperation.

Touching on China-ASEAN relations, Yang said over the past decade, bilateral trade between China and ASEAN increased five folds with mutual investment going up three folds, thus becoming world's largest Free Trade Area of developing countries. China has topped ASEAN's trade partner, while ASEAN remains as China's third largest trade partner with the economic network of the two sides linking closer and closer.

Yang pointed out that both China and ASEAN have strong desire to continue to expand and raise the level of cooperation as such one that produce "Win-Win" status.

Yang hoped China could develop rapidly to benefit surrounding countries more. "China Dream, in fact, is also World Dream. Critically saying, it is Asia Dream. As an important member of Asia, the development of surrounding countries conforms to China's interest. Similarly, the rapid development of China also meets the interest of respective Asian member countries. Therefore, we should share such opportunity to boost joint development," he said.

With regard to ASEAN's hope for total establishment of ASEAN Community Integration by 2015, he said that it has in fact provided more opportunity for China-ASEAN cooperation, especially that in development of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.

He pointed out that over the past decade, China and ASEAN established the strategic cooperation partnership in anticipation of peace and prosperity and jointly forged "Golden Decade", which can be said as a firm basis for creating another "Diamond Decade" .

Ambassador Yang said Premier Li's proposal for the creation of "Diamond Decade" for cooperation covers economic, monetary, social, cultural and maritime sectors as well as inter-link and extension of free trade area.

He hoped that through such close cooperation with ASEAN countries, it would push the cooperation to a new high, while utilizing the priorities of each country and exploiting the potential of cooperation.

Yang added that China and ASEAN are full of confidence over the "Diamond Decade". Endi

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