On August 6, 2018, ASEAN-China Centre (ACC)held a reception in Beijing to celebrate the 15thAnniversary of ASEAN-China strategic partnership and to welcome H.E. Mr. Chen Dehai as the newly appointed Secretary-General of ACC. Nearly 400 guests were present at the reception, including Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Mr. Chen Xiaodong, Vice Minister of Education H.E. Mr. Tian Xuejun, Ambassadors of Cambodia, Indonesia,Lao PDR and other ASEAN countries, as well as relevant Chinese government departments, local authorities, business and education institutions and media agencies.

Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong spoke highly of the achievements in ASEAN-China strategic partnership and fruitful outcomes of the ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’Meeting which was recently held in Singapore. He stated that 15 years on, despite changes in the international and regional landscapes, China-ASEAN friendship has grown from strength to strength and stood as firm as ever. China and ASEAN have continuously deepened mutual political trust, intensified highlevel interactions and policy communication, and carried out practical cooperation with fruitful results. Looking into the next 15 years, it is important to break new grounds in cooperation,make plans for an even brighter future, and work to further upgrade China-ASEAN relationship so that it will bring more benefits to the peoples and to the whole region.

Mr. Chen Xiaodong congratulated Mr. Chen Dehai for his assumption of the post of Secretary-General of ACC. He commended that ACC has grown to be a unique bond and an important platform in facilitating exchanges and cooperation between ASEAN and China. He expects ACC to facilitate practical cooperation in areas identified in China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership Vision 2030, harness its unique strength to promote people-to-people exchanges with more popular events, further build capacity to increase its own regional profile and enhance exchanges and engagement with international or regional organizations so as to expand its Circle of Friends and jointly advance regional cooperation in Asia. Mr. Chen Xiaodong described Mr. Chen Dehai as a capable and experienced diplomat who knows ASEAN affairs very well. He stated that as the host country, the Chinese government will continue to provide support and facilitation to the operation of the ACC and the work of Secretary-General Chen Dehai. He is confident that under the stewardship of Secretary-General Chen Dehai, ACC will make even greater contribution to the growth of ASEANChina relations and help bring about an even more successful 15 years of China-ASEAN cooperation.

H.E. Mr. Jose Santiago L. Sta. Romana, Ambassador of the Republic of Philippines, coordinator of ASEAN-China relations, welcomed and congratulated Mr. Chen Dehai on his appointment as the new ACC Secretary-General. He said that Mr. Chen’s extensive experiences dealing with Southeast Asian affairs, as well as the personal friendships with Southeast Asians throughout his previous postings in the region will be a great asset to ACC. He assured that ACC and Secretary-General Chen Dehai will have full support from ASEAN Member States and that ASEAN looks forward to continuing working closely with ACC. He stated that ASEAN and China have come a long way since the partnership between two sides was first established. This year, the Philippines is confident that the next 15 years will see further improvement of the lives of peoples and even stronger relations between ASEAN and China.

In response, ACC Secretary-General H.E. Mr. Chen Dehai expressed his gratitude to the governments of China and ASEAN Member States for having great confidence in and full support to him. He expressed thanks to ACC former Secretaries-General and all ACC colleagues for their contribution to the development of ACC, and to people of all walks of life from ASEAN and China for their care and support to the work of ACC. He stated that over the past 15 years since the establishment of strategic partnership, ASEAN and China have deepened political trust and reaped rich fruits in practical cooperation, which have delivered tangible benefits to the people of both sides and made significant contribution to peace,development and prosperity of the region. The establishment of the ASEAN-China Centre was the result of joint efforts and strong commitment of 10 ASEAN Member States and China,which carries great expectations of all sides. The new era has bestowed new missions on us. ACC will redouble its efforts,forge ahead, and fully harness its role as a one-stop information and activities centre to make active contributions to the allround and in-depth development of ASEAN-China strategic partnership. He himself will fulfill his mission and contribute his share to the friendly exchanges and cooperation between ASEAN and China.

At the reception, guests enjoyed Chinese and ASEAN performances and toured tourism photo exhibition.Participants welcomed and congratulated Mr. Chen Dehai on his assumption of the post of ACC Secretary-General and commended ACC’s constructive role in facilitating ASEANChina cooperation. The reception was held in a warm and friendly atmosphere.