Changsha to hold 15th East Asia Forum

　　The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on June 23 that the 15th East Asia Forum will be held in Changsha, capital of Hunan province, from June 29 to July 1st.

　　According to Geng Shuang, forum spokesperson, the forum will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the "10+3" cooperation platform created by the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN), China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

　　Officials, businesspeople and academics will gather to discuss the economic community of East Asia, Geng added. China has always appreciated the "10+3" cooperation and has actively participated in the group's meetings.

　　Beijing expects to benefit from this anniversary celebration to strengthen cooperation in areas like finance, agriculture and poverty reduction. China looks to develop new growth in production capacity, communication media and tourism to promote the economic community of East Asia, Geng stressed.

　　"The mechanism behind "10+3" is the main cooperation channel in East Asia," said Geng, recalling that the group has endured two financial crises and has become one of the more fruitful cooperation platforms in Asia after 20 years.

　　Founded in 1967, the association includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.