On 29 February 2024, Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) met with Permanent Secretary Hajah Johariah binti Haji Abdul Wahab at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brunei.

Shi Zhongjun underlined that ASEAN and China are inseparable neighbors and trusted partners sharing mountains and rivers, and the thriving ASEAN-China relations have become one of the most vibrant and productive partnerships among all dialogue partners of ASEAN. The ACC stands ready to join hands with the Bruneian government to further enhance the building of ASEAN community and raise public awareness of ASEAN, enhance practical cooperation between ASEAN and China in various fields, take full advantage of the ASEAN-China Year of People-to-people Exchanges to promote fonder amity among the peoples, tap on potential of cooperation in such emerging areas as climate change, public health, food security, and digital economy, so as to contribute more to the already fruitful ASEAN-China and Brunei-China relations.

Hajah Johariah reaffirmed Brunei's commitment to supporting the ACC in exercising its duties, expressing appreciation to the ACC’s significant role in the advancement of ASEAN-China relations particularly through people-to-people exchanges over the past 13 years since its establishment. She said that ASEAN-China relations have been progressing rapidly since the inception of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between both sides in 2021. Brunei looks forward to the constructive involvement of the ACC in the future establishment of ASEAN Centre of Climate Change since it falls into the latter’s broadened domains of cooperation. Brunei also recognizes Year 2024 of ASEAN-China People-to-people Exchanges as a crucial foundation for garnering strong public strong support to the growth of ASEAN-China relations.