On 5 November 2024, Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) hosted the visiting delegation headed by Director General Zanariah Zainal Abidin of the ASEAN-Malaysia National Secretariat in Beijing.

Shi Zhongjun briefed the delegation on the ACC’s efforts in promoting ASEAN-China relations, economic and trade cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges, as well as the ACC’s working plans in 2025. Looking ahead, the ACC plans to continue efforts under the 2025 ASEAN-China Year of People-to-people Exchanges and carry out more mutually beneficial cooperation between ASEAN Member States (AMS) and China. He reiterated that the ACC stands ready to support Malaysia taking over the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025 and looks forward to more support from Malaysia to the ACC’s future endeavors, so as to secure closer and stronger ASEAN-China and Malaysia-China relations.

Director General Zanariah congratulated the ACC on its achievements over the years and commended the steady increase in the number of activities. She acknowledged the ACC’s significant role in fostering ASEAN-China amity and sincerity through deepening people-to-people interactions as the core of the relations among the nations. She encouraged the ACC to continue in its efforts to further raise public awareness of ASEAN in China. Malaysia will assume the rotating ASEAN chairmanship in 2025 with the theme of “Driving Inclusivity and Sustainability” and celebrate Visit Malaysia Year in 2026. Malaysia looks forward to more concrete cooperation with the ACC in such areas as technological innovation, digital economy, emerging industries and tourism-related sectors.