On 5 January 2018, H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), met with H.E. Mr. Huang Xilian, Chinese Designate Ambassador to ASEAN. Mr. Cheng Hongbo, Deputy Director of Regional Cooperation Division of Department of Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, and Mr. Zhang Xuehai, Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations Division of ACC, attended the meeting.

Secretary-General Yang thanked Ambassador Huang Xilian for his long time and strong support and assistance to ACC particularly during his tenure of Deputy Director-General of Department of Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. She also briefed on mandate and work of ACC, and stated that ACC will continue to actively implement important consensus reached by both sides’ leaders, and substantively push forward friendly exchanges and practical cooperation between both sides in various areas following ASEAN-China cooperation themes and priority directions, so as to make new contributions to deepening ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership and bring tangible benefits to both peoples.

Ambassador Huang Xilian highly commended ACC for its tremendous and effective efforts in promoting ASEAN-China relations. He mentioned that ASEAN-China relations, at present, enjoy rare opportunities of development and broad prospects of cooperation. This year marks the 15th anniversary of ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership and the ASEAN-China Year of Innovation. He hoped to continue to enhance contacts with ACC, and jointly organize relevant events and projects, so as to join hands with each other to raise ASEAN-China relations to a new height and achieve greater progress.