Siem Reap (People’s Daily) – China is willing to share its experience and ready to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN countries for sustainable development and poverty reduction, said a Chinese diplomat at a symposium on Tuesday. 

Huang Xilian, Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN, delivers a speech to the symposium. (Photos: People's Daily/Zhao Yipu)

A total of 200 representatives from the public and private sectors of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, diplomatic missions and relevant organizations gathered in Cambodia’s Siem Reap to discuss the region’s sustainable development agenda. 

The symposium has been held for three consecutive years to build a model for south-south cooperation in sustainable development, said Huang Xilian, Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN, in his opening remarks. 

Huang said that China is ready to strengthen cooperation with the United Nations and ASEAN to foster sustainable development as a new growth engine of China-ASEAN cooperation, and enhance joint efforts in clean energy, poverty eradication, environmental protection and climate change. 

“China has supported the sustainable development of ASEAN countries through bilateral and multilateral cooperation frameworks and achieved remarkable progress on cooperation in poverty eradication, energy, environmental protection, regional integration, climate change and disaster management.” said Huang.

As a priority goal of the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, poverty eradication has always been high on the agenda of the Chinese government. Over the past 40 years, 800 million people have been pulled out of poverty in China, accounting for more than 70 percent of the global total over the same period. 

ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General for Socio-cultural Community Vongthep Arthakaivalvatee addresses the opening of the symposium.

ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General for Socio-cultural Community Vongthep Arthakaivalvatee said that there is a lot of common ground between ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and Agenda 2030.

Vongthep also highlighted ASEAN’s efforts to build an ASEAN community that is rules-based, people-oriented and people-centered. 

“The desire of the peoples of ASEAN to live in a peaceful, harmonious, inclusive, resilient, and healthy community meets the strong leadership and commitment of the ASEAN leaders. Let us all leverage on the complementarities between these two important agendas for the betterment of the peoples of ASEAN.” said Vongthep.

Prior to the discussion, participants sat down with local communities at the Chong Khneas Natural Tourism Community to hear their challenges and insights on a range of issues, from gender equality, disaster reduction to local work force building. 

The event was co-hosted by ASEAN, the Chinese mission to ASEAN and the United Nations Development Programme.