On 30 July 2017, H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) met with Mr. Chen Li, Director General of the Foreign Affairs Office (Overseas Chinese Affairs Office) of Guizhou Province (Guizhou FAO). Ms. Jiang Hong, Deputy Chief of Guizhou People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Ms. Lu Xiaoying, Deputy Director of the Division of Asian and African Affairs of Guizhou FAO, Ms. Cui Haining, Deputy Chief of the Division for Party-related Affairs of Guizhou FAO and Mr. Zhang Xuehai, Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations Division of ACC attended the meeting.

Director General Chen Li made a brief introduction of the exchanges Guizhou has maintained with foreign countries. He said that Guizhou enjoys abundant natural resources, diverse culture and pleasant weather, and plays a leading role in the fields like big data and innovation in China. Guizhou attaches great importance to the exchanges and cooperation with ASEAN countries. Since Guizhou held the first China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (CAECW) in 2008, it has actively conducted cooperation with ASEAN countries in students exchanges, mutual visits of teachers and joint research, and achieved fruitful results. Guizhou hopes to take the 10th CAECW this year as an opportunity, fully play the stimulating role of educational exchanges to expand Guizhou’s practical cooperation with ASEAN countries in the areas such as tourism, economy and ecological environmental protection. Thus, Guizhou hopes to receive ACC’s continuous support and assistance.

Secretary-General Yang Xiuping highly appreciated Guizhou’s active contribution to ASEAN-China relations. She said the 10th CAECW was held successfully in conjunction of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN and the ASEAN-China Year of Tourism Cooperation, which has injected new and strong impetus to ASEAN-China people-to-people exchanges. As the year of 2018 marks the 15th anniversary of the strategic partnership, ASEAN-China relations are facing new opportunities. Thus, ACC would like to keep close communication with the Guizhou FAO, and play a bridging role to facilitate Guizhou-ASEAN exchanges and cooperation. She believes that Guizhou could fully harness its advantages, grasp the opportunities and make new contributions to ASEAN-China relations.

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