On August 12 2025, the closing ceremony of the 2nd ACC Scholarship Short Course Program for Government Officials of ASEAN Member States (AMS) was successfully held at the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC). Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ASEAN-China Centre, Deputy Director-General Liu Jianqing of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) of Chinese Ministry of Education, Deputy Chief of Mission Ms. Norfarina Mohd Azmee of the Malaysia Embassy in China, and Han Xiaoning, Dean of the National Governance Engineering School from the Renmin University of China addressed the closing ceremony. Diplomats from the Embassies of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam in China also participated in the event.

Shi Zhongjun stated that in the context of profound changes in the current international landscape and the restructuring of the global governance system, the cooperation between ASEAN and China serves not only as a stabilizing force for the region but also as a crucial power in addressing global challenges. The officials present today represent the next generation of leaders of their countries and are pivotal in shaping the future of ASEAN-China relations. He also expressed hope that participants will become practitioners transforming insights into tangible outcomes, torchbearers carrying forward the friendship and architects pioneering innovative cooperation after returning to their home countries.  

Liu Jianqing pointed out that Short Course Program serves as an important platform for government officials of AMS to learn Chinese language and gain insights into China, representing a remarkable highlight in the 2025 “ASEAN-China Year of People-to-people Exchanges”. Norfarina Mohd Azmee indicated that the program contributes to nurturing ASEAN leaders and plays a positive role in promoting effective governance, sustainable development among AMS, and strengthening ASEAN-China relations. 

Representatives of the participants expressed their sincere gratitude to the ACC and supporting organizations, shared their learning experiences and highly praised China's development achievements in recent years. They stated that they will bring back what they have seen, heard, learned and felt during their stay in China to their home countries, and actively exploring future cooperation between ASEAN and China for the benefit of both peoples. They hope that the ACC will continue to invite more officials from ASEAN countries, enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of China and adding new vitality to the enhancement of friendly relations between ASEAN and China.

The 2nd ACC Scholarship Short Course Program, themed “Chinese Language+Governance”, was supported by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation and the People’s Government of Tianjin Municipality, and organized by Renmin University of China in Beijing. The program adopts a “unity of knowledge and action” training philosophy, combining online and offline courses to meticulously design expert-level courses in key fields including economics & trade, education, culture, media. Moreover, participants were also engaged in in-depth visits to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, People’s Daily, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Tianjin Huiguan Village, Tianjin Smart Zero Carbon Terminal, Tianjin High-tech Innovation Park, Luban Workshop and other organizations for practical investigations and exchanges to learn China’s all-round reform policy, path to modernization, rural revitalization and the development and application of new quality productive forces. A total of 22 government officials from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam participated in the program.