On 20 January 2025, H.E. Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) successively met with Mr. Albert Pek, Divisional Director of Higher Education, Ministry of Education of Singapore, Mr. David Chua, Chief Executive of the National Youth Council of Singapore and Mr. Heng Jian Wei, Senior Director of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth of Singapore. They exchanged views on the promotion of cooperation and exchanges in education, culture and youth between China-ASEAN and China-Singapore. 

Secretary General Shi Zhongjun briefed on main activities hosted by the ACC under the framework of ASEAN-China Year of People-to-people Exchanges and emphasized that people-to-people exchanges are the unceasing spiritual bond between China and ASEAN countries and a significant pillar of the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. 2025 is still designated as the Year of ASEAN-China People-to-people Exchanges and also marks the 35th anniversary of China-Singapore diplomatic relations. The ACC will continue to give full play to its role as a platform of cooperation and exchanges. Furthermore, he expressed the ACC’s readiness to join hands with Singaporean government sectors and social organizations to promote solid cooperation between China and Singapore and between China and ASEAN in the fields of education, culture and youth, so as to deepen mutual trust and friendship and contribute more to building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

Albert Pek highlighted that the education cooperation between Singapore and China has a deep foundation with fruitful results. The Ministry of Education (MOE) attaches great importance to fostering young students’ understanding of the ASEAN region and China. MOE is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with the ACC, and actively support and participate in the activities hosted by the ACC in the areas of higher education, vocational education and teacher exchanges, so as to jointly promote China-ASEAN education cooperation to a deeper and more far-reaching level.

David Chua and other representatives introduced that the Singaporean Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth has long been committed to promoting multicultural integration, creating equal opportunities for young people from different ethnicities, cultural and religious backgrounds to interact and grow so as to enhance social cohesion. The National Youth Council, as its subordinate organization, has been actively cooperating with China to carry out activities including volunteer service and youth leadership exchange. They look forward to working with the ACC in the future, and making good use of the ACC’s cooperation platform to facilitate more exchanges and enhance mutual learning between the youth of Singapore and China and of ASEAN and China.

During his visit in Singapore, Shi Zhongjun was invited to attend and address the 2025 ASEAN-China Youth UNESCO Exchange and International Youth Innovation Design Competition ASEAN Regional Challenge. He emphasized that youth is the future of ASEAN-China relations, and innovation is the primary driving force of development. Secretary General Shi further encouraged youth in this region to inherit and carry forward the traditional friendship between China and ASEAN, and to contribute their youth power to building a closer ASEAN-China community with a shared future.