China hopes to promote mutual understanding and economic cooperation with members of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) through which it can also enhance cooperation with Asia and Europe.

Chinese Minister of Commerce (MOC) Lu Fuyuan said this at Thursday's press conference marking the conclusion of the 5th ASEM Economic Ministers' Meeting (EMM) in Dalian, a port city of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Lu said that Japan is China's largest ASEM trade partner and the European Union is the third largest. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) rank 5th and 6th, respectively.

"There are four ASEM members among China's top 10 trade partners," he said, adding that they are all crucial to China's overall economic growth and trade development.

China sees a bright future for economic cooperation with the four ASEM members, based on an already solid foundation, Lu said.

China is carefully evaluating the proposals made by the leaders of the 4 countries designed to boost bilateral trade and is conducting research to design a medium- and a long-term strategy, he said.

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