Scaling Up Regional Collaboration

Nestled in the “Cities of Charm” exhibition area of the 14th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO)， a cozy space festooned with colorful flags attracted numerous visitors， many of whom snapped photos enthusiastically. This particular exhibition booth was designed for the ASEAN Secretariat. What kind of an organization is the ASEAN Secretariat? How does it promote cooperation among ASEAN countries? What role has it played in the CAEXPO? China Report ASEAN sat down for an interview with Lee Yoong Yoong， Director of the Community and Corporate Affairs Directorate of the ASEAN Secretariat.

>> China Report ASEAN: This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of ASEAN. As a vital player of the regional bloc， what has the ASEAN Secretariat done to promote collaboration among ASEAN countries as well as China-ASEAN cooperation?

Lee Yoong Yoong: Headquartered in Jakarta， Indonesia， the ASEAN Secretariat is an administrative agency that serves the 10 ASEAN member states by coordinating， implementing and overseeing all programs and guidelines initiated by the regional organization. Founded in 1967， the Secretariat is committed to achieving utmost efficiency in coordinating governmental plans and actions of the member states so as to strengthen regional cooperation in various fields.

The ASEAN Secretariat has been active in cooperation with CAEXPO. While sharing its own experiences and knowledge on the platform provided by CAEXPO， the ASEAN Secretariat has also contributed to the success of the expo. To play a part at this year’s event， we prepared an exhibition space featuring an overview of our work and contacted all ASEAN countries including Brunei as the Country of Honor to facilitate participation.

>> China Report ASEAN: The CAEXPO has been held 14 times since its inauguration in 2004. From your perspective， what role has it played in boosting China-ASEAN relations， and are there any changes in this year’s event compared to previous editions?

Lee Yoong Yoong: I attended the second CAEXPO in 2005， so this is my second time attending the event. I have noticed a dramatic change in the expo. That change is the growing interest in ASEAN countries from the Chinese public. Compared to 14 years ago， this year’s event sees a far greater number of participating companies engaged in various sectors including tourism， investment， cultural exchange and industrial production， which points to the healthy development of China-ASEAN relations and shows the major contribution the CAEXPO has made in the process.

Meanwhile， the exhibition booths of ASEAN countries offer a great diversity of exhibits that span a wide number of categories from food to history and culture. This shows increased awareness on both sides， which is a positive byproduct of the CAEXPO. It is also a healthy phenomenon that the China-ASEAN partnership deserves.

I strongly encourage young people to participate in the CAEXPO so that they can better understand ASEAN countries， develop interest in ASEAN studies and seek advanced education at universities on each other’s side whenever they have a chance. All of these actions are certain to benefit the region’s future.

>> China Report ASEAN: This year’s CAEXPO is themed on “Jointly Building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road， Promoting Regional Economic Integration Through Tourism”. Can you explain the meaning of the theme in terms of friendship between China and ASEAN?

Lee Yoong Yoong: This year also marks the ASEAN-China Year of Tourism Cooperation. Tourism provides what is probably the fastest way to promote the bilateral relationship between China and ASEAN， through which more effective cultural exchange can be achieved. For instance， I come from Singapore and my ancestors are mostly Chinese， leading to my close historical and cultural connections with China. At present， Singapore is looking to promote its history， increase cultural links with China and help Chinese people better understand Singapore through academic， intellectual and cultural exchanges. Over the past five to 10 years， China has remained the top source country for tourists to Singapore. In this sense， tourism is the best channel for promoting the relationship between China and ASEAN.

>> China Report ASEAN: The year 2017 is crucial for further implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative. How do you think the Initiative can promote the development of China-ASEAN relations?

Lee Yoong Yoong: To echo China’s Belt and Road Initiative， ASEAN countries have formulated their respective connectivity programs and development visions. Through seeking strategic synergy， both sides are enabled to pursue their common interests， realize fruitful cooperation and bring tangible benefits to their peoples. Infrastructure construction can help facilitate travel and exchanges among people across the region. More importantly， regardless of whatever cooperation projects we are engaged in， the “Belt and Road” is aimed at benefiting people through concrete cooperation. Though China and ASEAN have forged mutual recognition and understanding to some degree， implementation of the “Belt and Road” and infrastructure connectivity will allow both sides to learn more about each other and scale up bilateral cooperation.

>> China Report ASEAN: What is the Secretariat’s plan to continue to promote China-ASEAN relations and propel growth of the CAEXPO?

Lee Yoong Yoong: As the nerve center of ASEAN， we will continue to serve ASEAN countries under all circumstances. Taking advantage of the “10+1” and “10+3” frameworks as well as the East Asia Summit， we will conduct pragmatic cooperation with all major partners of ASEAN in an effort to push bilateral and multilateral cooperation to new heights.