Ambassador Buensuceso, sixth from left, with members of the ACC Joint Council during their meeting in Guilin, China on 11 December 2017.

Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to ASEAN, co-chaired the 7^th Meeting of the ASEAN-China Center (ACC) Joint Council on 11 December 2017 in Guilin, China.

In her remarks at the annual meeting, Ambassador Buensuceso highlighted the important role the ACC is playing in further solidifying ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, noting that at the recent 20^th ASEAN-China Summit in Manila, the Leaders of ASEAN Member States and China underscored the important role and contribution of the ACC in promoting trade, investment, tourism, educational and cultural cooperation between ASEAN and China for mutual benefit.

“It has been a very productive year for ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations with the holding of several high-level engagements between the two sides highlighted by the 20^th ASEAN-China Summit last month in Manila,” Ambassador Buensuceso stressed. ”I look forward to 2018 as another banner year with the commemoration of the 15th Anniversary of ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership and the proposed issuance of the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership Vision 2030 at the 21^st ASEAN-China Summit in Singapore.”

In the meeting co-chaired by Ambassador Buensuceso and Ms. Jiang Qin, Chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Mission to ASEAN, the Joint Council, which is the ACC’s policy-making body, approved the ACC’s 2017 annual report, the 2018 budget of USD 2,433,999.10, and the 2018 proposed work plan covering 21 flagship projects.

The meeting was attended by representatives of all 10 ASEAN Member States and China. It was also attended by Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Sta. Romana, co-chair of the ACC Joint Executive Board (JEB). The JEB oversees the day-to-day operations of the ACC in coordination with the ACC secretariat.

The ACC in Beijing was launched by ASEAN Member States and China in 2011. As a one-stop information and activities center, the ACC promotes friendly exchanges and practical cooperation between ASEAN and China in various fields, including trade, investment, education, culture, tourism, and information and media.

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