The First Meeting of the Joint Executive Board and the First Meeting of the Joint Council of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) were held at the ACC Headquarters on May 17 and 18, 2012 respectively. Thirty-four representatives from 11 members of the ACC attended the meetings. 

The Meeting of the Joint Executive Board was co-chaired by Ms. Yang Jian, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Ms. Khek Caimealy Sysoda, Cambodian Ambassador to China. The meeting focused on discussing a host of documents submitted by the Secretariat and came up with a written report for discussion. The Meeting of the Joint Council was co-chaired by Ms. Tong Xiaoling, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to ASEAN and Mr. Kan Pharidh, Representative of the Permanent Mission of Cambodia to ASEAN. The Meeting reviewed and adopted documents submitted by the Joint Executive Board, such as the Rules and Procedure of the Joint Council of the ACC, the Terms of Reference of the ACC Secretary-General，Appointment of the Secretary-General, the ACC Logo, Organizational Structure of the ACC, Staff Regulations and Rules of the ACC, Financial Regulations of the ACC, Annual Work Programme for FY2012, Plan of Operation and Work Programme of the ACC (2012-2017),  Regulations and Rules on Associates of the ACC, etc. The Meeting agreed to convene the Second Meeting of the Joint Council in the last quarter of 2012. 

The Joint Council appointed Mr. Ma Mingqiang as the first Secretary-General of the ACC.

The full success of the First Meeting of the Joint Council of the ACC marks the completion of the institutionalization of the ACC since its founding on Nov. 18, 2011. The documents adopted by the Meeting provide an institutional guarantee and a legal foundation for the sound development of the ACC and are of great significance to the ACC’s efforts to boost and realize the ASEAN-China practical cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, culture and education.