China sets up $10 bn fund for SE Asia: Wen

BOAO(CHINA): Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Saturday announced the establishment of a 10-billion-dollar fund to help promote infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia.

Speaking at the opening of the Boao Forum on the tropical island of Hainan in south China, Wen stressed the importance of developing infrastructure in the region in the face of the global financial crisis.

"We should accelerate the development of regional and sub-regional transport, power and communication infrastructure to gradually achieve interconnectivity and form a network," he said in a speech broadcast live on state television.

The annual Boao Forum aims to promote regional economic integration.

Wen had planned to announce the new fund at an Asian summit in Thailand last week but it was cancelled due to violent demonstrations.