On 23 July 2024, the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), in collaboration with Qingdao Municipal People's Government, co-hosted the 2024 ASEAN-China (Qingdao) Event on Economic and Trade Cooperation and People-to-People Exchanges. The ACC Secretary General Shi Zhongjun, Vice Governor Deng Yunfeng of Shandong Province, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Qingdao Municipal Committee and Mayor Zhao Haozhi of Qingdao, and Central Executive Committee Member Cho Thiri Maung of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) attended and addressed the opening ceremony. Over 200 participants, including diplomats of ASEAN Member States (AMS) in China, officials from Shandong Provincial Government, and representatives of ASEAN and Chinese business associations and enterprises gathered to engage in discussions for cooperation.

Secretary General Shi stated that the enduring success of the comprehensive strategic partnership between ASEAN and China benefits from the strong momentum of economic and trade cooperation and the robust cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Key projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have been successively implemented while the scale of cultural exchanges is rapidly growing, bringing tangible benefits to over two billion people in this region. He expressed the hope that this Event will facilitate mutual communication and understanding between AMS and Qingdao, so as to promote pragmatic cooperation and friendly exchanges in such fields as economy, trade, culture, tourism and education.

Vice Governor Deng Yunfeng introduced the cooperation carried out by Shandong with AMS and its edges, expressing the wish to further strengthen industrial exchanges, pursue more mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation, boost mutual investment, tighten the people-to-people bonds, and launch more projects in culture, tourism, and education to deepen the friendship between the ASEAN and Shandong province.

Vice Mayor Zhao Haozhi expressed his anticipation for Qingdao to strengthen cooperation with AMS in modern agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and maritime industries. He proposed to continuously promote friendly exchanges between the two sides. Central Executive Committee Member Cho Thiri Maung of UMFCCI stated that Myanmar deeply values its cooperation with China and hopes that the relationship between the two countries will become a model of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

At the Event, economic and commercial diplomats and envoys from Embassies and Consulates of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Thailand in China presented trade and investment policies and business environments of these countries. They also interacted and shared information with other business representatives. Officials and business representatives from Qingdao also introduced the cooperation carried out with AMS.

Multiple people-to-people exchanges activities, including “ASEAN Impression” Illustrated Books Exhibition and “ASEAN Images” Visual Exhibition, were held as important components of the Event. During their stay in Qingdao, Secretary General Shi, the AMS diplomatic delegation and representatives of ASEAN business associations and enterprises visited the Exhibition Center of CONSON No.1 Aquaculture Vessel and Zhongshan Road City Memory Museum. Secretary General Shi also had a field study to RCEP Shandong Enterprise Service Center, promoting understandings of its functions and its role in improving the utilization of RCEP.

On the afternoon of 22 July, Secretary General Shi led the ASEAN delegation in a meeting with Vice Governor Deng Yunfeng of Shandong Province. The two sides exchanged views on deepening communication and promoting cooperation between ASEAN and China in various fields.