Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Saturday pledged to speed up transport links and other infrastructure cooperation with South-East Asia. "In the next decade we will speed up the inauguration of land transport routes between China and ASEAN," Wen said, referring to the Association of the South-East Asian Nations. Speaking in Jakarta during a two-day visit, Wen said China would also invest in telecommunications, roads and electricity in ASEAN countries. ASEAN, with a total population of 500 million, hopes transport links will enhance its free trade agreement with China, which took effect in January 2010, according to a report of the German Press Agency "DPA". Wen said China aimed to increase trade with ASEAN to $500 billion in 2015. ASEAN consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
