Jiang visits Laos, Cambodia, Brunei

Jiang visits Laos, Cambodia, Brunei

BEIJING (AP): Chinese President Jiang Zemin will visit Laos
and Cambodia in November on his way to Brunei to attend a meeting
of leaders of Pacific rim economies, the Foreign Ministry
announced on Tuesday.

Jiang will visit Laos on Nov. 11, then Cambodia two days later
before heading to Brunei on Nov. 15-16 for a summit of members of
the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, ministry spokesman
Zhu Bangzao said at a regularly scheduled news conference.

Jiang will conduct a formal state visit to Brunei following
the summit, Zhu said.

The visits, the first ever to those countries by Jiang as
China's president, are aimed at "strengthening friendly and good
neighborly relations" and deepening economic ties and trade, Zhu
said.