Participants of the Workshop on ASEAN Community and Prospects for China-ASEAN Cooperation Visited ACC

On 2 November 2015, the participants of the Workshop on ASEAN Community and Prospects for China-ASEAN Cooperation, organized by the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to ASEAN, visited the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC). The participants included 12 officials from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam.

H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ACC, briefed the guests on ACC’s mandates and its development, stating that ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership had entered a new era for a Diamond Decade and would have in-depth and all-round development. She highlighted that by the end of this year, ASEAN would realize its Community building, the first sub-regional Community of its kind in Asia, which would become a milestone in the process of Asian integration. With the realization of the ASEAN Community, ASEAN economy would rank the 7th largest in the world, providing new opportunities for regional development as well as ASEAN-China cooperation. She also stated that 2016 would mark the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations and ASEAN and China had already agreed to designate 2016 as the Year of ASEAN-China Educational Exchange.ACC would continue to make more innovative and pioneering efforts to implement the common consensus reached by the leaders of both sides and contribute to the further elevation of functional cooperation between ASEAN and China.

On behalf of the participants of the Workshop, Mr. KE Sovann, Deputy Director-General, ASEAN Department of Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, expressed his appreciation ACC’s warm welcome and highly commended for ACC’s efforts in enhancing ASEAN-China functional cooperation. He stated that ASEAN including Cambodia attached great importance to ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership and Cambodia would organize a series of activities to celebrate the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations. He wished to strengthen communication and cooperation with ACC and make joint efforts to further promote the development of ASEAN-China relations.

Directors of each Division of ACC attended the meeting and had an interactive exchange of views with the guests on how to deepen the cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, education, culture, tourism and media exchanges.