On 23 April 2017, the reporting trip themed “China-ASEAN Jointly Building 21st Century Maritime Silk Road” arrived in Jiujiang. Mr. Zhao Bing, Member of Standing Committee of Jiujiang Municipal Party Committee, and Vice Mayor of Jiujiang, met with the media delegation. H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), Mme. Zhao Jun, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China Report Magazine, Mr. Lin Dajian, Director of International Publicity Division of Publicity Department of Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee, Mr. Shen Yang, Deputy Secretary-General of Jiujiang Municipal Government, Mr. Fu Wuqi, Deputy Director of Publicity Department of Jiujiang Municipal Party Committee, Mr. Qiu Ping, Director of Information Office of Jiujiang Municipal Government, and Mr. Vithit Powattanasuk, Director of Information and Public Relations Division of ACC, attended the meeting.

Vice Mayor Zhao warmly welcomed the delegation and introduced that Jiujiang is a city with a time-honoured history, rich cultural heritages, geographical advantages, sound ecological environment, abundant resources, and a promising future. In recent years, cooperation between Jiujiang and ASEAN countries has been intensified and expanded. Singaporean Royal Golden Eagle Group, Thai Charoen Pokphand Group, and other enterprises of ASEAN countries hold positive views of Jiujiang, invested in Jiujiang and contributed to Jiujiang’s development. The enterprises of Jiujiang also invested and established factories in eight of ASEAN countries. The investment contract is worth nearly USD 80 million. ASEAN products are very popular in Jiujiang, namely fruit, mineral, gas, wood. Jiujiang University established a Confucius Institute in Cambodia. The number of Jiujiang citizens visiting ASEAN countries also increased dramatically. As the only city with waterway port in Jiangxi province, Jiujiang has the basis and conditions to have closer, broader and more effective cooperation with ASEAN countries. He hoped ASEAN journalists could learn more about Jiujiang, follow up Jiujiang’s development, and better publicize Jiujiang so as to promote exchanges and cooperation between Jiujiang and ASEAN countries.

Deputy Editor-in-Chief Zhao opined that the delegation immersed themselves in Jiujiang’s socio-economic development and good ecological environment through the short trip. She also expected the ASEAN journalists could fully learn about Jiujiang’s socio-economic development and achievements in cooperation with ASEAN countries to spread positive messages of bilateral cooperation and facilitate exchanges and cooperation between both sides.

On behalf of the delegation, the journalist from Lao PDR thanked Jiangxi province and Jiujiang city for the hospitality, and thanked the State Council Information Office, ACC, China Foreign Language Publishing Administration, and China Report Magazine for the thoughtful arrangements. He hoped that there would be more opportunities to deeply understand China. He also expected that the mutual visits of media could enhance mutual understanding of both peoples and deepen bilateral cooperation.

Prior to the meeting with the journalists, Vice Mayor Zhao had a brief meeting with Secretary Yang and Deputy Editor-in-Chief Zhao, and exchanged views on the reporting trip, and advancing exchanges and cooperation between Jiujiang and ASEAN countries.

The Chinese journalists of Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily, China Central Television, China Radio International, China Daily, Jiangxi Daily, China Jiangxi Website, Jiujiang Daily, Jiujiang TV station, Jiujiang News Broadcasting, and Jiujiang News Website also joined the event.

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