ASEAN satisfied with economic ties with China

SIEM REAP, Cambodia - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is delighted to see the robust economic partnership with China, said Indonesia's Trade Minister Gita Wijrawan on Wednesday.

Gita made his remarks on the sidelines of the 11th consultations between the?10 ASEAN Economic Ministers and Chinese Minister of Commerce.

"For Indonesia, we want to broaden trade and investment ties with China," he told reporters.

In regard to Hong Kong's request for accession to ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), he said that ASEAN is "open-minded" and support it."

"But in the spirits of the ASEAN consensus, we'd like to seek more clarifications from the studies; however, everything is moving in the right direction," he said.

Hong Kong expressed its interest to join the ACFTA to the secretary-general of ASEAN in October 2011.

In an opening address to the 44th Economic Ministers Meeting on Monday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, the chair of ASEAN in 2012, advised the ASEAN Economic Ministers to submit the studies on the impacts of Hong Kong's accession to the ACFTA to ASEAN leaders at the 21st ASEAN Summit to be held in November for their decision.