BEIJING, July 5 -- Chinese Government encourages and will provide incentives to domestic enterprises investing in member countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), particularly in the telecommunication sector, Premier Wen Jiabao said yesterday.

    Hosting dialogue between leaders of the GMS countries and 300 representatives from the business community at a forum ahead of the Second GMS Summit, Wen emphasized the importance of providing telecommunication services in the rural areas of GMS countries, saying it is important in achieving balanced development and reducing poverty.

    Incentives will include government-backed soft loans, and other measures to be announced in the future.

    The premier asked for further improvement in the management and technology of telecommunications and said he was looking forward to more frequent exchanges among GMS members on telecommunications development.

    Commenting on a strategic development framework on trade and investment initiated by China, Wen said the framework con-tains commitments on the part of the Chinese Government to reduce business costs by making improvements in areas like customs clearance. Wen and counterparts from the other five GMS countries Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam took part in the dialogue.

    Leaders heard four reports focusing on trade and investment facilitation, infrastructure development and telecommunications.

¡¡¡¡Bilateral talks

    Wen said China and Vietnam, together with the Philippines, should jointly explore and develop disputed areas in the South China Sea, hoping oil companies from the three countries could soon start joint prospecting.

    On the sidelines of the summit, Wen told his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Khai that China supports Vietnam's bid to join the World Trade Organization. Khai said his country is willing to enhance negotiation and co-operation on border issues, adding Vietnam would work with China and the Philippines to promote the three-way joint development.

    On the same day, Wen also met with the prime ministers of Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia, saying China has decided to again offer preferential duties to the three countries.

    Wen exchanged views with the four leaders on the GMS programme, saying China will follow its good-neighbour foreign policy and pursue a road of co-operation and mutual benefit to work together with other countries to contribute to regional development.

    (Source: China Daily)