CEBU, Philippines, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo Thursday called for a closer cooperation between ASEAN and China through the establishment of the ASEAN-China Center on the Promotion of Trade, Investment and Tourism.

    Romulo made this proposal during the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting Thursday, saying that regional partnerships are vital to ensuring that everyone benefits from globalization.

    The 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

    He said that "being able to take part in the dynamic global economy is of central strategic importance for both ASEAN and China."

    Romulo also underscored the importance of inter-regional cooperation, saying the "Philippines supports linkages between ASEAN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as part of the global effort against terrorism", adding that "ASEAN-SCO relations be elevated from the current secretariat level to senior official or ministerial level." ¡¡