On March 15, the 14th Meeting of the ASEAN-China Joint Cooperation Committee was held in Jakarta, Indonesia. The meeting was co-chaired by Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN Yang Xiuping and Thailand’s Permanent Representative to ASEAN Suvat. Members of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN as well as Representatives from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Health and the State Oceanic Administration were present. Secretary-General Ma Mingqiang of the ASEAN-China Center (ACC) attended and addressed the meeting upon invitation.

In his speech, Secretary-General Ma Mingqiang thanked governments of the 11 member states of the ACC for their support and reported on the ACC’s work plan in 2013. Secretary-General Ma Mingqiang said that based on the experience of hosting all kinds of activities in 2012, the ACC would open more channels for financing, strengthen cooperation with both public and private sectors and launch more projects that are conducive to China-ASEAN practical cooperation. The ACC hopes for support, especially that in the form of project funding, from governments of member states.

Ensuing speeches made by heads of delegations of the ACC’s member states all paid tribute and showed gratitude to the ACC for its promotion of China-ASEAN practical cooperation and unanimously agreed the ACC’s application for China-ASEAN cooperation fund in 2013 to hold ASEAN tourism promotion campaign as well as activities for ASEAN students in China.

During his stay in Jakarta, Secretary-General Ma Mingqiang also met with officials of the ASEAN Secretariat, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, Industrial Ministry and Tourism Ministry and briefed them about the work done by the ACC. They also reached a rough consensus on the ACC’s cooperation with relevant agencies.