On 4 December 2023, the 2023 Joint Executive Board (JEB) Meeting of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) was held in Beijing, co-chaired by Ambassador Yu Hong of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and Minister and DCM Parulian George Andreas Silalahi of the Embassy of Indonesia in China, on behalf of the rotating chair of ASEAN. Ambassador Pehin Dato Rahmani of Brunei to China, Ambassador U Tin Maung Swe of Myanmar to China, CDA a.i.Thongsavanh Phyathep of the Lao Embassy, CDA a.i. Benjamin Sukanjanajtee of the Royal Thai Embassy, and representatives from the other embassies of ASEAN Member States (AMS) in Beijing, representatives of JEB China Council members including Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and the ACC officials attended the Meeting. 

Secretary General Shi Zhongjun took stock of the main activities sponsored and supported by the ACC in 2023 and looked forward to the work in 2024. He expressed his gratitude to JEB members for their strong support for the development of the ACC. He reaffirmed that the ACC will continue to implement the important consensus between the ASEAN and Chinese leaders, actively support major events such as the 2024 ASEAN-China Year of People-to-people Exchanges and further contribute to long-term development of ASEAN-China comprehensive strategic partnership. 

The co-chairs and JEB ASEAN members fully acknowledged the achievements registered by the ACC in 2023 and expressed their full support to the work of the ACC in the upcoming year, looking forward to the ACC consistently committing to the implementation of the leaders’ consensus, adding more strength to the 2024 ASEAN-China Year of People-to-people Exchanges, and rendering support to significant occasions in bilateral relations between China and individual AMS, through active and innovative delivery of more flagship projects in such areas as trade and investment, education, tourism, culture, media and youth, thus garnering public support to the advancement of ASEAN-China relations in the long run.

The Meeting also reviewed the related work report and future plan of programs of the ACC.