ACC Met with Director-General-Level Inspector of the State Council Information Office of China

On 30 April 2015, Mr. Ding Xiaoming, Director-General-level Inspector of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) of China, visited to ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) to explore cooperation with ACC in the fields of media and information. Inspector Ding Xiaoming met with Ms. Huang Ying, ACC Acting Secretary-General and Director of General Affairs and Coordination (GACD), and Ms. Lada Phumas, Director of Information and Public Relations Division (IPRD) of ACC. Ms. Cao Ting, Deputy Director of IPRD, was also present at the meeting.

Acting Secretary-General Huang Ying briefed on ACC’s mandates, organizational structure and its efforts in promoting ASEAN-China functional cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, education, culture, and tourism. She emphasized that ACC, as the only inter-governmental organization jointly established by the governments of ASEAN Member States and China and as a one-stop information and activities centre to promote ASEAN-China cooperation, will play an active part in promoting pragmatic cooperation between ASEAN and China. 

In the area of information and public relations, Director Lada Phumas opined that ACC has made significant achievements in raising awareness about ASEAN-China relations and raising the profile of ACC among the general public. ACC has managed to bring ACC closer to different groups and generations in China by implementing various PR projects such as the ASEAN Ambassadors’ Lecture Series, “My ASEAN & China” Multimedia Art Exhibition Series, the “ACC Cup--Understanding ASEAN-China Relations” Essay Contest, etc. In order to reach out to the broader masses both in ASEAN and China, IPRD has been strengthening cooperation with the media of both sides, making regular contributions to magazines such as ASEAN-China Panorama and China Report, and making full utilization of new media including Microblog. Director Lada highlighted IPRD flagship projects in 2015, which were to organize journalists from the mainstream media of ASEAN and China to make reporting trips with a view to boosting connectivity between ASEAN and China. 

Inspector Ding Xiaoming gave a briefing on SCIO’s mandates to promote the media exchange and to enhance the better understanding between China and ASEAN. The varied and colourful activities organized by ACC since its inception have formed an important platform to foster the mutually-beneficial cooperation and friendship between China and ASEAN. SCIO looked forward to strengthening exchange and cooperation with ACC and seeking the possibility of co-organizing activities and projects to enhance ASEAN-China relations.

Acting Secretary-General Huang Ying and Director Lada Phumas welcomed SCIO’s proposals with appreciation and expressed ACC’s willingness to work with SCIO to carry out joint cooperative programmes, particularly in the area of media cooperation in the future.