On 9 November 2019, the Symposium on Vitalizing and Booming ASEAN-China People-to-People Exchanges, co-hosted by the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) and Shanghai International Studies University (SISU), was held in SISU, Shanghai.

Around 100 people attended the event, including Mr. Chen Dehai, Secretary-General of ACC, Mr. Li Yansong, President of SISU, Mr. Myo Thant Pe, Ambassador of Myanmar to China, Mr. Loh Tuck Wai, Consul-General of Singapore to Shanghai，Mr. Ning Thanh Cong, Consul-General of Viet Nam to Shanghai and other representatives from embassies and consulate-generals of ASEAN Member States (AMS) in China, university experts and students, and representatives of NGO and media from AMS and China.

In his remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the Symposium, Secretary-General Chen Dehai said that the ASEAN-China Summit has just been concluded with a complete success in Bangkok, Thailand. The two sides achieved many cooperation agreements on connectivity, media exchanges, blue economy and other fields. ASEAN-China relations have entered a new era, embracing new opportunities. In this context, the people-to-people exchanges including the communication and mutual learning among the youth have become one of the important pillars of the ASEAN-China relations. Young people should carry out more extensive and deeper exchanges, enhance friendship and cooperation, and lay a more solid foundation of public for the sustainable and healthy development of ASEAN-China relations and the realization of the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership Vision 2030.

President Li Yansong said that the Symposium was one of the important events for celebrating the 70th Anniversary of SISU, and it's expected to enhance mutual understanding between China and ASEAN, promote academic exchanges and give a full play to the role of the young people in promoting China-ASEAN friendly cooperation.

Ambassador Myo Thant Pe highly commended the important role of ACC in promoting the ASEAN-China people-to-people exchanges, and expected that the Symposium could contribute wisdom to deepening youth exchanges in East Asia.

After the opening ceremony, themed on “Enhance the Role of Youth in ASEAN-China People-to-People Exchanges”, “Harness Technology and Innovation for Social and Culture Cooperation between ASEAN and China”, and “the Role of NGOs in Promoting ASEAN-China People-to-People Exchanges”, the sub-forums held extensive and in-depth discussions on topics such as strengthening connectivity, BRI cooperation, and cultural communication. Participants benefited from comments given by experts on-site and interactions between teachers and students. Based on personal experiences and academic research results, students from ASEAN and China all agreed that promoting people-to-people exchanges is in line with the general trend of the times and of the development of ASEAN-China relations, and is the universal aspiration of the people from both sides. All parties should seize the opportunity to build more bridges for people-to-people exchanges by thinking creatively, aligning strategies and producing substantial results. At the banquet of the Symposium on that very evening, Ms. Zhang Jing, Vice President of SISU and Mr. Loh Tuck Wai, Consul-General of Singapore to Shanghai made remarks respectively. They hoped to see more such activities be held by ACC to further promote ASEAN-China people-to-people exchanges. Participants found the Symposium informative and interactive, touching the heart of many through brainstorming on topics of interest, which further inspired their sense of mission and responsibility to engage in and promote the development of ASEAN-China relations.

During the Symposium, ACC Secretary-General Chen Dehai met with President of SISU Mr. Li Yansong, and exchanged views on enhancing cooperation between ACC and SISU. Secretary-General Chen Dehai also had extensive exchanges with representatives of embassies and consulate-generals of AMS in China as well as university experts and students from ASEAN and China, and discussed ways to further strengthen ASEAN-China relations and deepen cooperation.