SG Shi Invited to the Yellow River-Mekong River Exchange Week

On 11 November 2024, the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), in collaboration with the Shandong Provincial Foreign Affairs Office and Dezhou Municipal Government, co-hosted the Yellow River-Mekong River Exchange Week in Dezhou, Shandong Province.

Vice Governor of Shandong Province Song Junji, Secretary General of the ACC Shi Zhongjun, Secretary of State for Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation of Cambodia Heng Sokkung, Vice Governor of Banteay Meanchey Province of Cambodia Khlok Nouy, and Mayor of Dezhou City Zhu Kaiguo attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks. Over 200 representatives from ASEAN and Chinese government agencies, business communities and ASEAN diplomatic missions in China were present.

Shi Zhongjun stressed that ASEAN and China are close neighbors with shared rivers and a long history and rich heritages of civilizational exchanges. On the recent 8th Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Summit, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said that China and the Mekong River countries are a community with a shared future with close relations as family members. We all should work even more closely together to steadfastly advance on the path of common development. The ACC looks forward to seeing Shandong Province and Dezhou City continue to deepen cooperation with ASEAN countries, jointly strengthening the cooperation in competitive industries and the construction of industrial and supply chains, facilitating the trade of intermediate products and agricultural products, providing assistance to MSMEs to make better use of preferential policies of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) 3.0 and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and promoting the exchange of experience in poverty alleviation and rural construction, so as to reap more practical benefits from cooperation featuring Shandong characteristics.

Song Junji noted that Shandong, as the third largest economic province in China and the only coastal province in the Yellow River Basin Region, plays a key role in promoting high-quality development and foreign cooperation of the Yellow River Basin Region. He said the Lancang-Mekong countries are family members sharing the same river, and Shandong is willing to continue to innovate new dialogue channels, explore new trade opportunities, expand new areas of industrial cooperation and open a new chapter of people-to-people exchanges with the Lancang-Mekong countries.

Heng Sokkung expressed his gratitude for China's support in Cambodia's socio-economic development, and that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both sides, Cambodia and China have joined hands to build a community of a shared future, and the bilateral relationship is at its best in history. Cambodia is one of the fastest-growing economies globally, with significant infrastructure development and potential. It is expected that the Yellow River-Mekong River cooperation will create more opportunities for practical cooperation and yield more positive results.

At the following Trade and Investment Promotion Conference, Deputy Director for Trade and Investment of the ACC Pitchayapat Benjasiriroj introduced the current state of ASEAN-China relations and their economic and trade cooperation. Consul General of Cambodia in Jinan Mao Samneang, Minister Counsellor of the Thai Embassy in Beijing Jirapat Methaseth and Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Laos Embassy in Beijing Khouanchay Iemsouthi promoted their respective countries' trade and investment policies and opportunities and welcome more Shandong enterprises to invest in their countries. Representatives from China and Lancang-Mekong business associations and scholars shared successful experiences of mutual cooperation.

Secretary General Shi Zhongjun was also invited to witness the launch of the China (Dezhou) Southeast Asian Fruit Pavilion and the unveiling of the Thai Language and Culture Exchange Center at Dezhou University. A series of achievements in people-to-people exchanges and economic and trade cooperation were also announced during the event.

The Yellow River-Mekong River Exchange Week will feature a series of friendly exchange activities, including the business matchmaking sessions for Vietnamese and Cambodian enterprises, the Harvesting Lancang-Mekong and Rural Revitalization Green Development Training Course, the Lecture on Local Cooperation Between Yellow River Basin and the Mekong River Basin, as well as the Yellow River-Mekong River Dialogue on Regional Cooperation and Joint Planting for Friendship Forest in Linyi County.