ASEAN-China Week 2025 Opens in Fuzhou: Bridging ASEAN 2045 & Chinese Modernization

The event is co-hosted by the ASEAN-China Centre and the People's Government of Fujian Province.

Over 400 attendees included more than 30 ASEAN and international organization officials at or above the vice-ministerial level—such as H.E. Senator Dato Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah, President of the Senate of Malaysia; H.E. Datuk Nur Jazlan bin Tan Sri Mohamed, Deputy President of the Senate of Malaysia; H.E. Yorrys Raweyai, Deputy Chairman of the Regional Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia; H.E. Ko Ko Hlaing, Union Minister of Ministry (2) of the President's Office, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; H.E. Johariah Wahab, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam; H.E. Chuon Chivin, Secretary of State, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, the Kingdom of Cambodia; H.E. Phongsavanh Sisoulath, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People's Democratic Republic; Mr. Chettaphan Maksamphan, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand; H.E. Nararya S. Soeprapto, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN; and H.E. Zhang Jun, Secretary General of the Boao Forum for Asia; and Chinese representatives including H.E. Zhou Zuyi, Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee; H.E. Zhao Long, Governor of Fujian Provincial People's Government; H.E. Guo Ningning, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee; H.E. Wu Hailong, President of the China Public Diplomacy Association; and officials from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and Ministry of Natural Resources. H.E. Shi Zhongjun, Secretary General of the ASEAN-China Centre, delivered the opening remarks and moderated the keynote speeches.

H.E. Shi Zhongjun stressed that the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 is highly compatible with the aspirations of Chinese modernization. The event aims to promote deeper strategic alignment, uphold openness and integration, strengthen innovation-driven development, foster mutual learning in governance, and expand people-to-people exchanges, thereby consolidating the comprehensive strategic partnership and contributing to an even closer community with a shared future.

H.E. Zhou Zuyi stated that Fujian will thoroughly implement President Xi Jinping's Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative, and Global Governance Initiative; Fujian will also step up cooperation with ASEAN in infrastructure, mechanism and regulatory alignment, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Together, they will work to make new contributions to bridging ASEAN 2045 and Chinese modernization.

H.E. Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah noted that amid today's complex international landscape, ASEAN and China should champion the Bandung Spirit and Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness, and inclusiveness to bring greater stability and certainty to the region. The ASEAN Community Vision 2045 resonates strongly with the aspirations of Chinese modernization—both prioritize innovation, connectivity, and people-centred development. The China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 demonstrates the two sides' shared commitment to equitable sharing of cooperation outcomes, inclusive growth, and narrowing development gaps. He called for greater strategic alignment and wider collaboration in areas such as the digital economy, green technology, artificial intelligence, and the blue economy to build, through concrete actions, the China-ASEAN community with a shared future envisioned by President Xi Jinping and create a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home for all peoples.

H.E. Yorrys Raweyai said ASEAN is working to build Vision 2045 around community building and inter-state connectivity, which cannot be realized without open cooperation with China and other partners. He praised the timely relevance of the event's theme, saying it will help ASEAN and China forge consensus on their shared modernization aspirations. He expressed hope that the event would continue in future years to further strengthen strategic alignment and set an example for relations between countries and regions worldwide.

H.E. Ko Ko Hlaing remarked that Chinese modernization offers valuable experience and broad opportunities for the realization of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. He emphasized the need for both sides to deepen collaboration in areas such as the digital economy and technological innovation, industrial and supply chain connectivity, the blue economy, and people-to-people exchanges.

At the opening ceremony, senior representatives from ASEAN member states, the ASEAN Secretariat, the Boao Forum for Asia, and relevant Chinese counterparts delivered a series of keynote speeches. On the same day, the "Report on ASEAN-China Trade and Investment Cooperation" and the joint initiative of a China-ASEAN Digital Culture IP Database were released, and cross-border operations of the China-ASEAN Seafood Exchange were launched.

The ASEAN-China Week was initiated in Fuzhou three years ago to promote comprehensive public awareness of the ASEAN-China comprehensive strategic partnership. During the edition, a series of parallel forums and activities will be held, including the ASEAN-China High-Level Thematic Dialogues, the ASEAN-China Youth Roundtable on Marine Cooperation, the Economic Cooperation Opportunities Matchmaking Conference, the Media and Think Tank Salon, and the awards ceremony for the Silk Road International Youth Photography and Short Video Competition.
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