On 19 August 2023, the 2nd National Park Forum hosted by National Forestry and Grassland Administration (National Park Administration) of China and the Government of Qinghai Province was successfully held in Xining. H.E. Peng Qinghua, Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, delivered a speech and announced the opening of the Forum. H.E. Shi Zhongjun, Secretary General of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), attended the ceremony and delivered a speech. H.E. Ma Jiantang, the Standing Committee Member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Vice Chairman of the Economic Commission, H.E. Chen Gang, Secretary of CPC Qinghai Provincial Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of Qinghai Provincial People’s Congress, H.E. Wu Xiaojun, Deputy Secretary of CPC Qinghai Provincial Committee and Governor of the Qinghai Province, as well as diplomatic envoys in China attended the opening ceremony. Themed with “National Parks, Beautiful Homes with Harmonious Coexistence”, the forum aims at fully implementing the guiding principles of the National Conference on Eco-environmental Protection of China and promoting high-quality development of national parks.

In his speech delivered at the opening ceremony, Secretary General Shi Zhongjun pointed out that Qinghai Province continues to establish itself into a paragon of constructing a nature reserve system with national parks as the mainstay, which makes Qinghai Province known around the world. National park construction and bio-diversity protection are missions of all nations. This forum will tighten the existing ecological ties between Qinghai Province and ASEAN Member States (AMS), deepen ASEAN’s core needs for sustainable development, promote harmonious coexistence between human and nature, and make important contributions to maintaining world peace, security, and prosperity around the Framework of ASEAN-China Environmental Cooperation Strategy and Action Plan 2021-2025.

On the morning of 21 August 2023, Secretary General Shi Zhongjun attended the opening ceremony of the Lancang-Mekong International Video & Photography Week 2023, which was themed “Drinking Water from the Same River, the Light and Image Shining on Lancang-Mekong Area”. He pointed out in his speech that the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation is the first new type of sub-regional cooperation mechanism jointly established by the six countries along the Lancang-Mekong River Basin. It is an important platform for countries and parties concerned to engage in consultation on building the Belt and Road. Yushu City, where the Lancang-Mekong River originates, boasts the reputation of “Key Passageway to Tibet”. The source of the Mekong River, known as the cradle of Southeast Asian civilization, is the Lancang River, which originates from Yushu and spans through Southwest China, Myanmar, Laos PDR, Thailand, Cambodia, and the southern part of Viet Nam. The ACC will continue to actively support the cultural exchanges and cooperation among AMS and Qinghai Province, establish a new platform for people-to-people exchanges and make continuous efforts to advance ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

In the afternoon, Secretary General Shi Zhongjun also attended a series of events such as the “Trace the Source and Dialogue over the Lancang-Mekong River” Lancang-Mekong Youth Dialogue and exchange activities along the Lancang Mekong River Basin.