On 13 June 2017, H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) met with Mme. Zhou Hong, President of Yunnan Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, in Kunming. Mr. Yang Shaocheng, Secretary-General of the Association, Mr. Wang Kunpeng, Director of Policy Research Division of Yunnan Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, and Mr. Zhang Xuehai, Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations Division of ACC, attended the meeting.

President Zhou briefed on the efforts the Association made in facilitating people-to-people exchanges between Yunnan province and foreign countries. She stated that Yunnan is bordered by the Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam, and enjoys geographical proximity and cultural affinity with ASEAN countries, especially countries along the Lancang-Mekong River. Exchanges and cooperation with ASEAN countries are one priority for Yunnan. In recent years, the Association has been actively pushing forward the building of Sister Province/City relations with ASEAN countries, and has organized several campaigns to offer free surgeries for patients with cataract from the Lao PDR, Myanmar and other ASEAN countries, which are highly appreciated by local governments and peoples. During this year’s South & Southeast Asia Commodity Expo and Investment Fair, the Association invited 33 enterprises from 19 Sister Provinces/Cities which set up 88 booths in the International Sistership Pavilion. The Association also held the Night of Sister Cities and various other events. All these activities established important platforms for expanding Yunnan’s foreign exchanges and cooperation with Southeast Asian countries. She looked forward to maintaining close contacts with ACC and continuing to co-organize events so as to lay solid foundations for the people-to-people exchanges between ASEAN and China.

Secretary-General Yang commended the Association’s fruitful achievements in fostering ASEAN-China people-to-people exchanges, and outlined recent work of ACC. She said that ACC would like to continue to serve as a bridge and bond to make more contributions for supporting Yunnan’s expanding foreign exchanges with ASEAN countries, and improving mutual understandings between peoples of ASEAN and China.

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