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April 2, 2009: Guo Boxiong, vice chairperson of the Central Military Commission, meets Teo Chee Han, Singaporean deputy prime minister and minister of defense, in Beijing. They agree to raise the level of military-related exchanges and visits, personnel and military training, and increased cooperation in defense consultation. April 2, 2009: Lt. Gen. Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of general staff of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), meets senior defense scholars and representatives from ASEAN member countries attending the China-ASEAN Dialogue 2009 to discuss deepening regional defense cooperation. April 8, 2009: Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie receives Nguyen Van Duoc, vice defense minister from Vietnam, to discuss bilateral military ties and future prospects for strengthening military exchanges. April 8, 2009: Hu Zhengyue, assistant foreign minister, expresses concern over the demonstrations and protests in Thailand and expresses confidence that the Thai government will ensure safety for visiting leaders during the ASEAN Plus 3 meetings. April 10, 2009: Gao Hucheng, China’s vice commerce minister, announces that ASEAN is likely to replace Japan as China’s third largest trading partner in the near future. April 12, 2009: Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi announces a multi-billion dollar aid and credit extension package to ASEAN countries during a meeting with the 10 foreign envoys from ASEAN member countries posted in Beijing. April 16, 2009: According to Chinese press statements, the Maritime Safety Bureau announces that it has sent at least six patrol vessels to the South China Sea in recent weeks and that such patrols are legal and within China’s exclusive economic zone. April 20, 2009: Chen Bingde, chief of the general staff of the PLA, meets Tin Aye, member of Myanmar’s State Peace and Development Council. Both sides agree to forge close communication and cooperation to help maintain regional stability. April 24, 2009: China and Singapore sign a memorandum of understanding on education cooperation. The MOU spells out new collaborative programs and educational exchanges between Chinese and Singaporean scholars and academics in the university sector. April 27-30, 2009: Lt. Gen. Yang Zhiqi, assistant chief of general staff of the PLA, leaves Beijing for an official visit to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. The delegation includes senior officials from the Beijing Military Command and the Jinan Military Command. April 28, 2009: The Chinese Foreign Ministry issues a statement of protest of Vietnam’s recent decision to appoint an official to represent the disputed Paracel Island. China-Southeast Asia Relations 73 July 2009 April 30, 2009: Jia Qinglin, chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, meets Nguyen Thien Nhan, deputy prime minister of Vietnam. Jia assesses that bilateral relations have improved significantly since 2008 and hopes that the two countries will further cooperation in education, culture, science, and technology. May 3, 2009: Finance ministers of ASEAN, China, Japan, and South Korea meet in Bali, Indonesia and reach an agreement on the substantive contents of the regional reserve pool that will be implemented before the end of 2009. The agreement provides agreements on individual country’s contribution, borrowing accessibility, and a region-wide surveillance mechanism. May 6, 2009: Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu meets Somsavat Lengsavad, Laotian deputy prime minister, in Beijing. They discuss expanding trade, business, and economic activities. May 11, 2009: Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping receives Ha Thi Khiet, member of the Secretariat and chief of the Commission for Mass Organization of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee. They review the current relations and hope to strengthen their cooperative partnership next year, the 60th anniversary of China-Vietnam diplomatic ties. May 13, 2009: China’s State Oceanic Administration and the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries establish a bilateral marine science cooperative program that allows for the two countries to conduct joint research focusing on the impact of climate change to oceans. May 16, 2009: According to the People’s Daily Online, Beijing has recently established the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs, a new department under the Foreign Ministry, to manage maritime and territorial disputes. It will manage land and sea boundary demarcation and administration, form policies, and conduct negotiations for joint development in disputed areas. May 18, 2009: Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie meets Songkitti Chakkabat, supreme commander of the Thai military, in Beijing. They discuss consolidating bilateral relations and ways to promote military ties between the two armed forces. May 26, 2009: Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi arrives in Hanoi to attend the 9th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). May 31, 2009: Lt. Gen. Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of the general staff of the PLA, attends and takes part in the 8th annual Shangri-La Dialogue. June 1, 2009: Vice President Xi Jinping meets Keo Puth Rasmey, chair of the Cambodian Funcinpec Party, and says that China is ready to build party-to-party relations. June 4, 2009: President Hu Jintao meets Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. They agree to strengthen bilateral relations and call for more cooperation on political, economic, cultural, and education issues. June 10, 2009: Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi meets his Thai counterpart Kasit Piromya. China-Southeast Asia Relations 74 July 2009 June 11, 2009: China hosts the first “ASEAN Plus 3 Non-Traditional Security Forum” in Shijiazhuang. June 12, 2009: According to Indonesian news reports, Beijing and Jakarta reaffirm their commitment to intensify bilateral military cooperation, especially through transfer of technology. June 18-26, 2009: China and Singapore hold Cooperation 2009, a joint anti-terrorism seminar and training exercise, in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The exercise includes simulations of terrorist attacks using radioactive contaminants, biological and chemical weapons. June 19, 2009: China Petroleum and Natural Gas Group Company confirms the company recently signed the “Memorandum of Understanding on the Development, Operation, and Management of the Sino-Burmese Crude Oil Pipeline Project.” June 24, 2009: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao meets Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva in Beijing. They seek to promote closer relations between China and Thailand and call for closer trade and tourism ties. June 24-26, 2009: China hosts the 15th China-ASEAN Senior Officials Consultation. The consultation will focuses on China-ASEAN relations and regional security and economic issues.