On 22 October 2018, the International Seminar on “ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership: New Era, New Vision”, co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Kingdom of Thailand and Thammasat University, was held in Bangkok, Thailand. Dr. Suriya Chindawongse, Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Mr. Lyu Jian, Chinese Ambassador to Thailand, Associate Prof. Dr. Kitti Prasirtsuk, Vice Rector of Thammasat University, famous scholars from ASEAN and China, representatives from Thai government departments, think tanks, universities, media and diplomatic corps in Thailand, with a total of more than 200 participants attended the seminar. Mr. Chen Dehai, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) attended the event and delivered closing remarks.
Vice Rector Kitti delivered opening remarks. He pointed out that over the 15 years since ASEAN and China established strategic partnership, the all-round cooperation has been deepened, which has helped to narrow the development gap in the region, effectively addressed global and regional challenges and made important contributions to peace, stability and prosperity of this region. He expected that both sides continue to work together, and usher in an even brighter future of the strategic partnership.
Ambassador Lyu Jian stressed in his keynote speech that China will continue to place ASEAN in an important position in China’s overall diplomacy and give priority to ASEAN in China’s neighborhood diplomacy. China will firmly adhere to the path of reform, opening up and win-win cooperation, firmly support an open world economy and multilateral trading system. He said China and ASEAN should stay committed to deepening political mutual trust, enhancing practical cooperation, broadening security cooperation and expanding people-to-people exchanges. As Thailand will assume the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN in 2019, China will provide full support to Thailand and look forward to Thailand’s unique influence in uplifting China-ASEAN relations to a new level.
Director General Suriya said in his keynote speech that ASEAN-China relations are the fastest developing, most fruitful and dynamic relations that ASEAN has with its dialogue partners. Thailand will take the upcoming rotating chairmanship of ASEAN as an opportunity, and vigorously push forward the ASEAN-China strategic partnership with focus on priority areas such as trade and investment, connectivity, people-to-people exchanges, so as to realize common and sustainable development. He spoke highly of the contribution ACC made to promote ASEAN-China practical cooperation and expected ACC to play a bigger role in future.
Secretary-General Chen Dehai said that ASEAN-China relations have entered a new era featured in maturity and upgrading, which is embracing new development opportunities. Both sides should tap cooperation potentials, strengthen strategic synergies, advance practical cooperation, deepen people-to-people exchanges, and continue to consolidate the sound foundation of friendship among the peoples. ACC will continue to focus on priority areas of ASEAN-China cooperation, join hands with all friends, and strive to make greater contributions to the ASEAN-China strategic partnership.
The experts and scholars had extensive, in-depth and productive exchanges on topics such as Prospects for ASEAN-China Relations in the Changing International Geopolitical Landscape, Synergizing ASEAN’s Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025, and China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Enhancing Education, Culture, Tourism Cooperation to Strengthening ASEAN-China People-to-People bonds. The participants commended the fruitful results achieved by ASEAN and China through 15 years’ strategic partnership, and suggested that in the new era, both sides should make full use of the various cooperation mechanisms, fully harness respective advantages, deepen cooperation in all areas and further push forward the strategic partnership in new era, so as to benefit all people of this region.