On 4 May 2016, H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), and H.E. Dato’ Zainuddin Bin Yahya, Malaysian Ambassador to China visited Lanzhou and took field trips to the Sino-Malaysia National Joint Laboratory of Halal Food of Northwest University for Nationalities, the China-Malaysia Joint Laboratory of Halal Natural Product Extraction Technology and Food Research and Development of Gansu Provincial Institute of Light Industry, and China-Malaysia Joint Laboratory of Halal Food Analysis and Testing Technology of Gansu Institute of Business and Technology. Mr. Wang Bin, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Science and Technology of Gansu Province, and Mr. Lu Xinglai, Deputy Director-General of Foreign Affairs Office of Gansu Province, accompanied them in the site visits.
During the visits, Secretary-General Yang and Ambassador Zainuddin Bin Yahya attended briefings on the analysis, testing, research, development, innovation and technology transformation of halal food, as well as the functions and plans of the above labs. After being informed of the exchange and cooperation between the labs and ASEAN countries including Malaysia, Secretary-General Yang and Ambassador Zainuddin Bin Yahya applauded the efforts of the labs to build a platform for China-Malaysia cooperation in halal food, saying that China-Malaysia relations were progressing with a sound momentum on the ground of common interests in prospect of broader cooperation. They looked forward to deepened cooperation for the benefits of the people.
In Lanzhou, Secretary-General Yang and Ambassador Yahya also had discussions with the leaders of relevant institutions on enhancing Malaysia-China, ASEAN-China and Malaysia-Gansu functional cooperation,.