On 27 December 2021, Mr. Zhen Jianxin, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Changsha Municipal Committee and Mayor of Changsha,met with guests attending the 2021 ASEAN-China Culture and Tourism Week in Changsha. They exchanged views on deepening exchanges and cooperation in various fields including culture and tourism between the ASEAN Member States (AMS) and Changsha. Mr. Arthayudh Srisamoot, Thai Ambassador to China, and Mr. Chen Dehai, Secretary-General the of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), attended the meeting. 

On behalf of the CPC Changsha Municipal Committee and Changsha Municipal Government, Mayor Zheng Jianxin extended his warm welcome to all the guests. He briefed them on the latest situation of socio-economic development of Changsha and its exchanges and cooperation with AMS in recent years. Changsha has been giving full play to its special advantages of geographic location, resources and industries and branding itself with Culture City of East Asia, Lancang-Mekong Tourist City, UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts and other relevant features. In the fields of people-to-people exchanges, trade and economic cooperation, Changsha and AMS have been closely connected with each other. Business partners from AMS are warmly welcome to visit this promising land and explore business opportunities here. He also expressed profound thanks to the diplomatic missions of AMS in China and ACC for their care about and support to Changsha’s socio-economic development.   

Ambassador Arthayudh Srisamoot and Secretary-General Chen Dehai extended their heartfelt thanks to the host for their hospitality and considerate arrangements concerning the ASEAN-China Culture and Tourism Week. They also gave their warmest congratulations upon the holding of this significant activity and the achievements of this city in culture and tourism sector and socio-economic development. They believed that exchanges and cooperation between ASEAN and China in the fields of culture, tourism, education, media, youth and human resources should be strengthened. Secretary-General Chen Dehai said ACC will play an active role as a bridge and bond in strengthening practical cooperation between ASEAN and Changsha. Other guests expressed hope that cross-border tourist visits will be resumed and promoted once the post-COVID-19 conditions allow, and that Changsha will be able to receive more ASEAN tourists. . 

Also present at the meeting were Mr. Sanmugan Subramaniam, Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) and Minister of the Embassy of Malaysia in China, Mr. Thongsavanh Phyathep, DCM and Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of the Lao PDR in China, Ms. Zin Mar Htwe, DCM and Minister of the Embassy of Myanmar in China, Ms. Rukmini Tri Setiati, Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of Indonesia in China, and Ms. Li Yaying, Deputy Director of the Education, Culture and Tourism Division of ACC.