On 24 May 2016, the ASEAN-China Center (ACC) held a seminar themed on “ASEAN Economic Community: Opportunity and Challenge” in Kempinski Hotel, Beijing. About 200 people participated in the event, including diplomats from ASEAN Embassies in Beijing, enterprises, academic and media representatives from China and ASEAN countries. H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ACC, attended the seminar and delivered a speech. Dr. Ahmad Zafarullah, Senior Economist and Assistant Director of the ASEAN Integration Monitoring Directorate of ASEAN Secretariat, was invited to make a keynote speech.
Secretary-General Yang Xiuping said that the seminar was an activity organized by ACC during the ASEAN-China Week to commemorate the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations and to promote functional cooperation between ASEAN and China.
Secretary-General Yang stressed that the prospect of ASEAN-China cooperation was closely related to the development of ASEAN. As the first sub-regional community in Asia, the establishment of the ASEAN Community was an innovative model for regional integration and was considered a milestone. The completion of the ASEAN economic community marked the starting point of ASEAN economic integration. It was expected that through the seminar, the guests could further understand the development trend and influence of ASEAN economic community, grasp the opportunities and tackled the challenges in ASEAN-China economic and trade cooperation, and further improve the cooperation between the two sides.
Dr. Ahmad Zafarullah reviewed the development of ASEAN and the economic cooperation between ASEAN and China. He elaborated on the four pillars of Economic Community Blueprint 2015, namely, single market and production base, competitive economic region, equitable economic development and integration into the global economy, as well as the positive results achieved. He further pointed out that the establishment of ASEAN Community by the end of 2015 was not an end to ASEAN integration. ASEAN had developed its vision 2025, which would further promote the economic community to a highly integrated, more dynamic and competitive development, and to make the economy more inclusive, people-centred and global.
After the speech, Dr. Ahmad Zafarullah had an active interaction with the audience, and answered their questions on the prospects and challenges of ASEAN Economic Community, how to deepen ASEAN-China economic and trade cooperation, including strengthening SMEs cooperation under the new situation. Dr. Ahmad Zafarullah's professional interpretation resonated with the participants. The atmosphere of the seminar was sound, and good results were achieved.