Chinese president to visit SE Asia

Chinese president to visit SE Asia

SINGAPORE (AFP): China's President Jiang Zemin is to visit several Southeast Asian nations before and after he attends the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Indonesia in November, news reports said yesterday.

Jiang will visit Singapore and Malaysia before the summit scheduled for Nov. 15. He will stay on in Indonesia for an official visit after the summit before heading for Thailand and Vietnam, local newspapers said.

Asked to confirm the reports, an official at the Chinese embassy here said: "There is such a thing but discussions are still underway."

Local Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao, quoting sources in Beijing, said that Jiang's visit was part of China's pursuit of an all- encompassing policy to strengthen ties with Southeast Asia after making important progress in relations with European nations.