Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's active engagement at a series of meetings for East Asian leaders in Bali, Indonesia, has helped boost China-ASEAN traditional friendship and East Asian cooperation, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Monday.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao attends the 6th East Asia Summit in Bali, Indonesia, Nov. 19, 2011. [Xinhua]

During his stay in Bali, Wen attended the 14th summit between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the 14th summit between ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea, the sixth East Asia Summit, as well as a trilateral summit that included China, Japan and South Korea.

Following the meetings, Wen paid an official visit to Brunei and held talks with Bruneian Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on bilateral ties and issues of common concern.

Wen's visit to Brunei and his attendance at the series of meetings for East Asian leaders were conducive to deepening friendly relations with Brunei and other East Asian nations, Yang said.

Wen's activities, Yang said, demonstrated the image of China as a confident, open and responsible country and created a favorable external environment and a favorable neighboring environment in particular.

Deepening China-ASEAN friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation

The 14th summit between China and ASEAN marked the 20th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue relations and was thus of great importance, Yang said.

Confronted with a harsh and complex external environment, it is the common aspiration of China and ASEAN members as well as in the interests of various parties to boost mutual trust, deepen cooperation and promote development, he said.

Lauding the achievements in the development of China-ASEAN relations at his speeches at the meetings, Wen noted that as strategic partners for peace and prosperity, the two sides have engaged in exchanges and cooperation in wide-ranging areas and at a level unseen in the past, and have thus formed a community of common destiny sharing a common stake.

China and ASEAN should be both confident and sober-minded, seize opportunities to enhance cooperation and jointly tackle challenges, the premier said. China and ASEAN, Wen said, also should keep their destiny firmly in their hands and not slacken pace or waver in their advance in the direction they have set to pursue their goals.

To promote the future growth of China-ASEAN practical cooperation, Wen outlined a six-point proposal: expand cooperation in trade and investment; give high priority to connectivity and other infrastructural development; deepen financial cooperation; expand practical maritime cooperation; advance cooperation in science, technology and sustainable development; work harder to promote cooperation in social areas and areas important to people's livelihood.