Vice Governor of Sichuan Province Met with Delegation of ASEAN Committee in Beijing

On 27 November 2016, H.E. Mr. Zhu Hexin, Vice Governor of Sichuan Province, met with the delegation of the ASEAN Committee in Beijing. H.E. Dato’ Zainuddin bin Yahya, Ambassador of Malaysia to China, H.E. Mr. Thit Linn Ohn, Ambassador of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to China, Mr. Nguyen Hoai Anh, Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, Mr. Gan Teng Kiat, Consul-General of Singapore in Chengdu, representatives from Cambodian and Indonesian Embassies in Beijing, H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), Mr. Li Jianqin, Mayor of Panzhihua Municipal Government and Ms. Zhang Tao, Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Affairs Office of Sichuan Provincial Government attended the meeting.

Vice Governor Zhu Hexin extended a warm welcome to the delegation and briefed them on economic and social development of Sichuan Province and its exchanges and cooperation with ASEAN. He cited that Sichuan Province, as an important gateway for China to the west and the south, has engaged in close exchanges with ASEAN countries. Thailand and Singapore have opened Consulates General in Chengdu. ASEAN has become the second largest trading partner of Sichuan and an important destination for the outbound tourists of Sichuan. At present, Sichuan is intensifying its efforts to improve the quality of economic development and build a society of initial prosperity in all respects. To this end, Sichuan is implementing three major strategies of diversified development, interactive development of urban and rural areas, and innovation-driven development. Sichuan will continue to strengthen communication and contact with ASEAN countries to deepen friendship and cooperation and foster the relations between Sichuan and ASEAN to a new level. He hoped that ASEAN Embassies and Consulates General and ACC would continue to provide support and assistance to cooperation between Sichuan and ASEAN.

H.E. Ambassador Zainuddin Bin Yahya thanked ACC for organizing this trip and Sichuan Provincial Government for the hospitality accorded to the delegation. He said that the two-day visit in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, has enabled the delegation to know more about Sichuan Province and Chengdu City in their economic and social development as well as their cooperation with other countries. The delegation is about to visit Panzhihua City and attend the opening ceremony of Panzhihua-ASEAN International Trade City. ASEAN countries and Sichuan enjoy close relations and smooth cooperation in economy, trade, investment, tourism, and culture. He hoped that both sides would build upon what has been achieved, further tap the potential for cooperation and continue to advance cooperation between ASEAN and Sichuan.

H.E. Secretary-General Yang Xiuping outlined the mandate of ACC and said that to advance sub-national exchanges and cooperation between ASEAN and China is a priority of the Centre. ACC will take this visit as an opportunity to further harness its own strengths and actively facilitate exchanges and cooperation between ASEAN and Sichuan.