China took a further step in its cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by acceding to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia.

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and his ASEAN counterparts signed the historic document, which makes China the first major non-ASEAN country to be bound by the TAC.

By acceding to the treaty, China agrees to perform and carry out all the stipulations contained in the TAC, whose purpose is to promote perpetual peace, everlasting amity and cooperation based on mutual respect, non-interference principle and peaceful settlement of disputes.

"With the accession, China and ASEAN are ready now to move to greater interaction in various issues," Indonesian Foreign Minister Hasan Wirayuda told reporters shortly after the signing ceremony.
 
"ASEAN expects that Japan and South Korea will soon follow the step taken by China," he added.

The TAC was signed at the first ASEAN Summit in Bali in 1976 as the code of conduct in governing relations among ASEAN members. It was amended twice in 1987 and 1998 to allow countries outside the region to accede to the treaty with the consent of all ASEAN members, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.