On 27 July 2016, H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), met with Mr. Zeng Junhua, Financial Secretary of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
Secretary-General Yang Xiuping gave a brief on the development of ASEAN-China relations and appreciated the work and achievements of HKSAR in promoting Hong Kong-ASEAN relations. She said that the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership had formed an all-dimensional, multi-tiered and wide-ranging cooperation pattern. ASEAN-China relations had been the most active and fruitful one among all the relations between ASEAN and its dialogue partners. With the establishment of ASEAN Community and implementation of China’s 13th Five-Year Plan, ASEAN-China cooperation faced opportunities and a broad vision ahead.
Secretary-General Yang Xiuping outlined the mandates, organizational structure and work of ACC, saying that as the only inter-governmental organization between ASEAN and China, ACC was committed to implementing the consensus reached by the leaders of both sides. As a one-stop information and activities centre, ACC was making every effort to facilitate ASEAN-China functional cooperation in trade, investment, education, culture and tourism. Since its foundation, ACC had implemented over 90 projects and hosted or attended nearly 500 activities. ACC was trying to be the facilitator of good-neighbourly and mutual-trust partnership, the promoter of functional cooperation and the communicator of friendship between ASEAN and China. ACC had held the Seminar on ASEAN Economic Community, ASEAN-China Tourism Cooperation Forum, Exhibition of ASEAN-China Academies of Fine Arts, ASEAN Gourmet Festival etc. to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations. ACC would strengthen its communication with HKSAR to deepen functional cooperation between ASEAN and China in various areas and enhance people-to-people understanding and friendship. ACC would make continued contribution to further enhancing the bilateral relations.
Financial Secretary Zeng Junhua warmly welcomed Secretary-General Yang to visit Hong Kong, and commended ACC’s fruitful work in promoting friendly exchange and cooperation between ASESAN and China. He briefed on the development of Hong Kong and ASAEN-Hong Kong cooperation. He said, Hong Kong was an important international financial, shipping and trade centre, with experienced management and advanced finance and service industries. Hong Kong was rich in tourist resources. Its movies, television dramas and Cantonese opera performance had a large number of fans in Southeast Asia, which laid a solid cultural foundation for ASEAN-Hong Kong cooperation. HKSAR would strengthen communication with ACC to enhance mutual understanding and win-win cooperation between ASEAN and Hong Kong for common development.