Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will attend a series of leaders' meetings on East Asian cooperation via videolink from Thursday to Sunday at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced Tuesday. 

The annual summits include the 23rd China-ASEAN (10+1) leaders' meeting, the 23rd ASEAN-China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (10+3) leaders' meeting, the 15th East Asia Summit, the fourth Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit and the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS). 

These summits are part of the related meetings of the 37th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Vietnam holds the rotating chair this year.

Wang said China expects the upcoming summits will focus on enhancing regional solidarity to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and promoting development across the region. 

He underscored the increase in trade and investment between China and ASEAN despite the pandemic, noting that ASEAN has become China's top trading partner. China's investment in ASEAN member states expanded 76.6 percent in the first three quarters of the year, he added. 

On the other hand, the spokesperson said East Asian cooperation is facing some challenges with the increase of uncertainties in the global economy and the rise of protectionism and unilateralism. 

China hopes the meetings will contribute to maintaining prosperity and stability in East Asia, he stressed. 

China is willing to make joint efforts with ASEAN countries to promote regional economic integration and uphold multilateralism, he said.  

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA), Wang noted, adding that China will collaborate with ASEAN countries on the implementation of the protocol on upgrading the FTA.