East Asian leaders' meetings should shun noises to focus on cooperation

East Asian leaders should stick to the theme of unity, development and cooperation in search of mutual benefit during their current meetings and not be distracted by political and security disputes. The meetings are a valuable platform for the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other countries in the region, including China and the United States, to frankly exchange views and promote cooperation, against the backdrop of a stagnant world economy and a chronic European debt crisis. It is natural that different countries hold different stances on certain issues and even have rifts or rows. For example, China and certain Southeast Asian nations have disputes over the South China Sea. They should be resolved through negotiations between the countries directly concerned, and external forces shouldn't get involved under any excuse. The disputes are bilateral issues between China and several countries involved, and not at all a rift between China and the ASEAN as a whole. The East Asian leaders' meetings are occasions for regional economic cooperation, not a tribunal for quarrels over complex security or maritime issues. However, certain countries are complicating the issues by attempting to bring them to the meetings. And disappointingly, visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton signed a declaration with her Philippines counterpart on Wednesday to call for multilateral talks to resolve maritime disputes, such as those over the South China Sea. China and the ASEAN have built a fruitful and constructive partnership over the past two decades, which has significantly benefited both sides. The sound China-ASEAN relationship has been a model for cooperation between developing countries. The volume of bilateral trade has jumped from 7.96 billion U.S. dollars in 1991 to 292.78 billion dollars in 2010. That represents a 37-fold increase and an average annual growth of more than 20 percent. China now is already ASEAN's largest trading partner, while ASEAN is China's third largest. The two sides have established the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA), which is the largest free trade area among developing countries. Leaders of 18 countries, a rise from last year's 16, will attend the sixth East Asian Summit scheduled for Saturday, with the latest additions, the United States and Russia, reflecting the region's increasing attraction and weight. It is important for all participants to focus on set goals to expand common ground and further promote cooperation.