On 28 June 2023, H.E. Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) was invited to attend the 12th China (Sichuan) - South Asia & Southeast Asia Business Leaders Summit held in Chengdu and address the opening ceremony. The Summit was co-hosted by the ACC, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the Government of Sichuan Province, and SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Secretary General Shi said that ASEAN and China have long been forging ahead on a path of good-neighborliness and win-win cooperation. At present, China's economic cooperation and trade with South Asia and ASEAN is facing a great number of new opportunities. All three parties have their own strengths and characteristics which are highly complementary. The ACC will continue to play the connecting and bridging role in further deepening regional cooperation.

Under the theme of “Share Opportunity of the Era, Create Prosperity of the Region”, the Summit witnessed heated discussions on such topics as RCEP implementation, Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, and the Belt and Road Initiative. Around 300 government officials from ASEAN and South Asian countries, diplomatic envoys in China, representatives of international organizations, entrepreneurs, experts and scholars attended the Summit.

During the stay in Sichuan, Secretary General Shi also visited Ya’an City, attended and addressed the Ya’an Session of the Summit.