On 5 May 2016, Mr. Hao Yuan, Vice Governor of Gansu Province met with H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), and H.E. Dato’ Zainuddin Bin Yahya, Ambassador of Malaysia to China. Mr. Yu Jianning, Vice Secretary-General of the Provincial Government of Gansu, Mr. Wang Jiayi, Director-General of Gansu Provincial Department of Education, Mr. Li Wenqing, Director-General of Gansu Provincial Department of Science and Technology, and Mr. Lu Xinglai, Deputy Director-General of Gansu Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, were present at the meeting.
Vice Governor Hao Yuan extended a warm welcome to Secretary-General Yang Xiuping and Ambassador Dato’ Zainuddin Bin Yahya and gave thanks to the support of ACC and the Malaysian Embassy to Gansu Province in its social-economic development and opening to the outside world. He noted that the geographical contiguity between China and ASEAN countries and the consanguinity of the people in the region had given rise to the friendship that dated back to ancient times. The “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” initiative had provided an important opportunity for the further development of ASEAN-China strategic partnership. Gansu was a vital node in the Silk Road Economic Belt and a hub on the Eurasia Land Bridge. On the platform of China-Malaysia National Joint Laboratory of Halal Food, Gansu had established sound cooperation with Malaysia in halal food production, authentication, research and development. Both sides had also made positive progress in sister-cityhood, direct flights, tourism and education. He hoped that ACC and the Malaysian Embassy would lend continuing support to Gansu and make joint efforts to bring the cooperation between Gansu and ASEAN countries including Malaysia to perennial fruition.
Secretary-General Yang expressed her appreciation for the consistent attention and support of Gansu Province to ACC and briefed on ACC’s mandates and work. She opined that in 2016 which marked the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations and ASEAN-China Year of Educational Exchange, ACC would actively act on the consensus among the Leaders of eleven countries by devoting itself to functional cooperation in five priority areas to strengthen understanding and friendship between the people of both sides. ACC was ready to further push forward the functional cooperation between Gansu and ASEAN and escalate people-to-people exchange so as to promote prosperity and development of ASEAN and China.
Ambassador Zainuddin said that Malaysia attached great importance to its relations with China and ASEAN-China relations. He trusted that Gausu, a major provincial capital city strategically located in core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt in the hinterland of China boasting a long history and profound cultural heritage, would have a ever-brighter prospect for further development. Malaysia and Gansu Province, both comprising large Muslim populations, enjoyed huge potential for cooperation. The Malaysian side would like to further strengthen communication with Gansu and deepen exchange and cooperation in halal food production, tourism, education and seek more convergence of interests to bring concrete benefits to the people of both sides.