On 20 January 2025, Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) met with Deputy Secretary Kevin Cheok and Director General Rajpal Singh of ASEAN Directorate of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore. Shi Zhongjun briefed the Singaporean side on the ACC’s endeavors to promote practical cooperation and friendly exchanges between ASEAN Member States (AMS) and China as well as Singapore and China, in such areas as trade, investment, education, culture, tourism and media. He expressed appreciation to the sustained support to the ACC from the MFA of Singapore and the Embassy of Singapore in China. Within the framework of the 2025 ASEAN-China Year of People-to-people Exchanges and commemoration of the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and China, the ACC will stay committed to further promoting friendly bonds between and mutual benefits for both China and ASEAN with Singapore included, so as to better serve the advancement of ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Kevin Cheok and Rajpal Singh both spoke highly of the ACC’s achievements in promoting ASEAN interests and ASEAN-China partnership in the general public of China, and hailed the ACC as an essential platform to further strengthen amity between and prosperity for the peoples in the region. The enhanced people-to-people exchanges between both sides are of great significance to consolidating the foundation of ASEAN-China relations, thus further benefiting the partnership between Singapore and China. The Singaporean side really looks forward to a bigger role of the ACC in helping implement the upcoming ASEAN Community Vision 2045, and build on an efficient and rewarding platform to strengthen best-practice sharing and concrete cooperation between ASEAN and China in such areas as green transformation, energy security, artificial intelligence and youth development, in the purpose of achieving high-quality and sustainable development for both sides.