On 4 July 2017, during participating in the third Chinese Media Reporting Trip to ASEAN organized by ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ACC, respectively accepted interviews by Chinese and Indonesian journalists in Jakarta. The interview encompassed Indonesia-China relations, ASEAN-China relations and bilateral media cooperation.
Secretary-General Yang stated that since the establishment of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations in 1991, both sides enjoy deepening mutual political trust, fruitful practical cooperation outcomes, and frequent people-to people exchanges, as a result of which, the bilateral relations have already shaped a cooperation pattern featured with all aspects, multiple levels and broad fields. In 2016, ASEAN-China trade volume reached USD 452 billion, and two-way stock investment exceeded USD 170 billion. For years, China maintained the place of top one trade partner of ASEAN, and ASEAN top three of China. In summers and autumns, there are around 2700 flights shuttled between China and ASEAN countries. Mutual visits of tourists have already topped 300 billion person/times. ASEAN-China relations have become the most robust and fruitful one among all ASEAN’s Dialogue Relations, which substantially stimulates both sides’ economic development, and makes contributions to regional stability and prosperity.
Secretary-General Yang said that ASEAN countries and China are important participants in the Belt and Road Initiative and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Both sides also enjoy the Upgraded ASEAN-China Free Trade Zone in effect and momentum of Lan-Mekong cooperation. 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of ASEAN and the ASEAN-China Year of Tourism Cooperation, both of which bring opportunities for both sides to deepen cooperation. ACC would continue to well play the role of one-stop information and activities centre, and substantially push forward both sides’ cooperation in trade, investment, education, culture, tourism and media so as to make more contributions to in-depth and sustainable development of ASEAN-China relations.
Secretary-General Yang expressed that media is an important bridge and bond to promote mutual understanding and people-to-people exchanges. ACC attaches great important to ASEAN-China media exchanges and cooperation, and actively push forward mutual visits of both sides’ journalists which has already invited over 50 journalists from ten ASEAN Member States to visit six provinces of China, and invited around 20 Chinese journalists from over 10 Chinese media to visit Lao PDR, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and other ASEAN countries encompassing China-ASEAN Jointly Building 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. This reporting trip to the Philippines and Indonesia is the third one organized by ACC to bring Chinese journalists to ASEAN, which better help Chinese journalists to deeply learn about achievements of ASEAN Community Building, socio-economic development of ASEAN countries, and fruits and prospects of practical cooperation between ASEAN and China. She encouraged Indonesian and Chinese journalists to continue to conduct reports with objectivity and fairness so as to echo the melodies of ASEAN-China cooperation, and Indonesia-China cooperation, and inject new and stronger impetus in bilateral relations.