The ASEAN embassies in Beijing also welcomed the newly appointed Secretary-General of the ASEAN-China Center, Zhang Lizhong, on the occasion.
Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Thanh Binh said that after 59 years of formation and development, ASEAN has grown into a community of 11 member states, reflecting the region’s diversity and dynamism.
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ASEAN ambassadors in Beijing and the Secretary-General of the ASEAN-China Center pose for a group photo. |
He highlighted ASEAN’s ability to listen to one another, respect diversity, manage differences and build consensus as among the key lessons underpinning the bloc’s strength and enabling it to move forward together.
Binh also spoke highly of the positive development of ASEAN-China relations, expressing his hope that the two sides would continue to tap their considerable potential for cooperation in the coming period.
For his part, Zhang thanked ASEAN ambassadors and representatives in Beijing for their warm welcome, affirming that the ASEAN-China Center would continue to serve as a bridge between the two sides.
The center will work closely with ASEAN diplomatic missions in China to promote exchanges, deepen mutual understanding and expand practical cooperation among the parties, he said.
The messages delivered at the celebration underscored the continued importance attached by both sides to strengthening ASEAN-China relations based on friendship, trust and mutually beneficial cooperation, thereby contributing to peace, stability and development in Southeast Asia and the wider Asian region.
The program also featured exchanges among participants in a friendly atmosphere, highlighting the unity, solidarity and close bonds within the ASEAN community in Beijing.
Source: VNA