On the afternoon of 1 September 2023, the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) had a privilege of attending the Third Lancang-Mekong Fruit Festival in Beijing. The year 2023 has been jointly designated as the ASEAN-China Year of Agricultural Development and Food Security Cooperation by the leaders of the ASEAN Member States (AMS) and China. The Fruit Festival, which is one of the series of events of the cooperation year, served as the key platform for sharing agricultural experiences and promoting agricultural products with the spirit of collaboration between the two regions.

Hosted by the Department of International Cooperation (DIC) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) of the People’s Republic of China, this year’s Fruit Festival carried the theme “Share LMC Fruits, Share a Fruitful Future”. The festival aimed to foster a fruitful future by sharing knowledge and expertise in the field of agriculture.

 
    During the opening ceremony, Ms. Yu War Ko, Deputy Director of the General Affairs and Coordination Division of the ACC was invited on stage to join the esteemed guests together in launching the Third Lancang-Mekong Fruit Festival. This symbolic gesture showcased the commitment of the ACC to promote and strengthen trade cooperation between ASEAN and China.

 
    In addition to the festival, a significant highlight of event was the launch of a new book titled “Fruit Growing and Poverty Reduction: China’s Experience”. With the ASEAN-China Year of Agricultural Development and Food Security Cooperation in full swing, this festival marked another milestone in strengthening the agricultural trade cooperation between ASEAN and China, promising a fruitful future for both regions.