On 12 and 13 October 2022, H.E. Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) paid courtesy calls on H.E. Mr. Raja Nushirwan Bin Zainal Abidin, Ambassador of Malaysia to China and H.E. Mr. Lui Tuck Yew, Ambassador of Singapore to China. Ms. Wang Hongliu, Director of the General Affairs and Coordination Division of ACC, Mr. Guo Chuanwei, Director of the Trade and Investment Division of ACC respectively joined the meetings.

Secretary-General Shi extended appreciation for the long-standing precious trust and strong support rendered by the Embassies of Malaysia and Singapore to ACC. Linked by mountains and rivers as well as cultures, ASEAN and China are good neighbors, good friends and good partners. Under the current international situation, a sound relationship between ASEAN and China is important for the two sides to jointly promote development and address challenges. ACC will keep closer contact with Embassies of Malaysia and Singapore and play an active role as a bridge to deepen friendly exchanges and practical cooperation between ASEAN and China as well as bilaterally, so as to make consistent efforts to jointly promote ASEAN-China comprehensive strategic partnership.

Ambassador Nushirwan expressed his heartfelt congratulations on Secretary-General Shi Zhongjun’s assumption of office, and stressed that he was honored to be a member of the first Joint Council of ACC, and has witnessed the growth of ACC since its establishment. He highly valued the significant role played by ACC in promoting exchanges and cooperation in various fields and among provinces and cities of ASEAN and China. The fields of common interests between Malaysia and China as well as ASEAN and China are expanding, including climate change, renewable energy and cross-border e-commerce. Malaysia would like to support ACC to play a more important role and further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and traditional friendship between the two sides.

Ambassador Lui Tuck Yew offered his congratulations on Secretary-General Shi’s assumption and noted that in the past decade, China’s development has attracted worldwide attention. The ASEAN Member States including Singapore hope to better understand China through ACC. The Embassy looks forward to taking the entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) as an opportunity, exploring new cooperation opportunities between Singapore and China, to jointly promote post Covid-19 pandemic economic recovery and enhance cooperation in the area of connectivity, exchanges of students and smart cities based on the new international land-sea trade corridor. He himself and the Embassy will continue to support ACC and promote the development of Singapore and China and ASEAN-China relations together with ACC.