Immediately after Chinese President Xi Jinping wound up his maiden trip to Southeast Asia, Premier Li Keqiang will be in Southeast Asia from Oct. 9 to 15, where he will attend the East Asia leaders meetings and visit to Brunei, Thailand and Vietnam.

The frequent visits by high-ranking Chinese leaders to Southeast Asia highlight the diplomatic importance China places on its neighboring countries. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The upcoming East Asia leaders meetings have attracted much attention, and will set the mark for the future of China's relationship with ASEAN over the next decade.

China has always made a priority of developing ties with ASEAN countries. According to Professor Su Hao from the Department of Foreign Affairs at China Foreign Affairs University, there are two reasons for this.

"China needs a stable external environment for its development. Southeast Asia is the most critical area. China also needs to stabilize the relations with its neighboring countries in order to play a greater role in the international community."