On 17 October 2017, H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), participated in the opening ceremony of the 4th International Conference on Tourism and Hospitality, and delivered remarks.

Secretary-General Yang Xiuping briefed on the development of ASEAN-China relations and the outcomes of Indonesia-China exchanges and cooperation in various areas. She stated that tourism and education cooperation is the main driving force of ASEAN-China relations. The two sides had carried out a series of activities to celebrate the ASEAN-China Year of Educational Exchange in 2016 and the ASEAN-China Year of Tourism Cooperation in 2017, which vigorously promoted ASEAN-China practical cooperation in the fields of tourism and education. In 2016, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang proposed at the 19th ASEAN-China Summit to take education and tourism as a priority of cooperation and make people-to-people exchanges and cooperation a new pillar of ASEAN-China relations, which has further enriched tourism and education cooperation in keeping with the trend of the times.

Secretary-General Yang highlighted that tourism and education have always been ACC’s priority areas. To echo Visit ASEAN@50 Campaign, ACC had taken an active part in various tourism activities and set up booths to promote tourism resources of ASEAN and China. ACC had translated the 50 Golden Trails and published its Chinese version, successfully organized the ASEAN-China Quality and Sustainable Tourism Development Conference & ASEAN Tourism Photo Exhibition, and the ASEAN Gourmet Festival. ACC is working with Beijing TV (BTV) on the Tourism Documentary Shooting Project “Hi! ASEAN” in 10 ASEAN countries. ACC has been actively engaged in the China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week to deepen education cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN countries and China. During the 10th China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week held in Guiyang last July, ACC had facilitated the establishment of the ASEAN-China Consortium for TVET Cooperation and ASEAN-China Education and Tourism Alliance, which were actively participated by the universities of ASEAN countries. During this conference, China-Indonesia Tourism and Hospitality Management Study Center would be set up at Wuxi Institute of Technology. It was expected that all these mechanisms would provide new platforms for the cultivation of professionals in tourism, and provide more manpower for the tourism development of both sides.

Secretary-General Yang commended that the Conference, co-hosted by the Association of Indonesian Tourism Tertiary Education Institution and Wuxi Education Association for International Exchange, with the theme “International Tourism Higher Education Collaboration, Towards a Responsible and Sustainable Tourism”, focused on the priority areas of ASEAN-China relations. She believed that through in-depth discussions, the Conference would help promote the synergetic development of tourism and education cooperation where "one plus one can make more than two", thus make positive contribution to people-to-people connectivity and common development of both sides. At the same time, it would serve as a new platform for Wuxi and Jiangsu province to expand collaboration and exchanges with Indonesia and other ASEAN countries. ACC stands ready to join hands with all parties to seize the opportunity to make bigger contributions to the bright future of ASEAN and China.

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