China-ASEAN Cooperation in 2012

VI. Culture, Education and Tourism

Culture

The first China-ASEAN Culture Ministers Meeting was held in Singapore on May 25, 2012. Participants agreed to establish the China-ASEAN culture ministers meeting mechanism and discussed matters related to the operation of the mechanism, cultural cooperation in the coming period and the Action Plan of China-ASEAN Cultural Cooperation.

The two sides have successfully held the China-ASEAN Cultural Industry Forum six times since 2006, making positive contributions to resource sharing and practical cooperation on regional cultural exchanges as well as deepening China-ASEAN relations. The forum was renamed "China-ASEAN Cultural Forum" and the latest one was held in Nanning from September 10 to 14 in 2012.

Education

China-ASEAN Education Exchange Week

Themed "Openness, Innovation and Practical Cooperation", the fifth China-ASEAN Education Exchange Week was opened from September 17 to 20 in Guizhou Province, with concurrent activities such as China-ASEAN university presidents forum, China-ASEAN food culture festival, China-ASEAN seminar on the development of cultural industry, and China-ASEAN forum on medical education. Over 600 representatives from ASEAN universities, educational authorities, embassies of ASEAN countries,the ASEAN-China Centre, the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN University Network and many Chinese universities participated in the activities.

Ten China-ASEAN Vocational Education and Training Centers

At the 14th China-ASEAN Summit in 2011, Premier Wen Jiabao proposed to "set up 10 vocational education and training centers to help ASEAN countries develop human resources needed in economic and social development". All the ten China-ASEAN vocational education and training centers have now been established in different provinces and autonomous regions such as Guangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Fujian and Heilongjiang, providing training courses on business exhibition, culture, art, Chinese language teaching, finance, traditional medicine, and new energy.

Double 100,000 Students Plan

By the end of 2011, the number of students from the ten ASEAN countries studying in China totaled 54,790, including 4,118 students on Chinese government scholarships. The number of Chinese students studying in ASEAN countries registered 101,039. In 2012, China continues to provide more scholarships for ASEAN countries and put into practice the Plan of Studying in China to attract more students from ASEAN countries to study in China and encourage mutual exchange of students between China and ASEAN.

Chinese Language Teaching and ASEAN Research

China attaches importance to strengthening Chinese language teaching in ASEAN countries. So far, China has opened 26 Confucius Institutions and 14 Confucius Classrooms in Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

China has also strengthened ASEAN-related research. Many Chinese universities, including Peking University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Xiamen University, Guizhou University, Yunnan University, have set up research centers on ASEAN or ASEAN countries. Dozens of Chinese universities are now offering programs on the language of ASEAN countries. The number of Chinese students learning ASEAN languages keeps growing. There are increasingly frequent academic exchanges between Chinese and ASEAN universities.

Tourism

In recent years, the National Tourism Administration (NTA) of China gives preferential treatment to ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Secretariat attending the China International Travel Mart every year. In 2012, the NTA continues to provide two free standard exhibition booths to each participating ASEAN country and the ASEAN Secretariat. The booths are located near to each other. China also gives active support and assistance to ASEAN countries' special promotional activities during the event.

In February, the National Development and Reform Commission of China (NDRCC), the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) and NTA co-hosted the first China-ASEAN Green Tourism Forum in Beijing. In April, assisted by the NTA, the ACC and a TV crew from China Central Television (CCTV) went to Cambodia and shoot a film of its tourism attractions which was aired on CCTV.

VII. Health, Customs and Quality

Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine

Health

On March 29, 2012, the second China-ASEAN senior officials meeting on health development was held in Cebu, the Philippines. On July 6, the fourth China-ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting was held in Phuket Island, Thailand. Participants identified the priority areas for bilateral health cooperation, shared experience over smoking control and signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the People's Republic of China and Governments of the Member Countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Health Cooperation.

In April, the China-ASEAN Seminar on Traditional Medicine under the theme of "incorporating traditional medicine into the national healthcare system" was held in Beijing.

In August, China invited ASEAN countries to attend the China Health Forum held in Beijing to share experience over the reform of healthcare.

In 2012, the two sides also carried out programs on HIV/AIDS prevention and control, in border areas of China and Myanmar, China and Vietnam, and China and the Laos; the pilot cooperation program of cross-border joint prevention and control of malaria/dengue fever in the border areas of the Yunnan Province in the Greater Mekong Subregion and the pilot program of prevention and control of dengue fever in the border areas in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Customs

The 10th China-ASEAN Customs Directors Consultation was held in Manila, the Philippines from June 5 to 9, 2012. Participants exchanged views on strengthening capacity building, promoting the safety and facilitation of international supply chain, and matters related to the World Customs Organization and the World Trade Organization.

In June, the Seminar on China-ASEAN Customs "Authorized Economic Operator (AEO)" was held in Guilin, Guangxi.

In September, the training course on follow-up customs inspection was held in Shanghai and 20 senior customs officials from four countries took part in the course.

Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine

From September 19 to 21, 2012, the third China-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (SPS Cooperation) was held in Nanning, Guangxi under the theme of "strengthening cooperation to serve the development of China-ASEAN FTA". The meeting reviewed and approved the Implementation Plan (2013-2014) of the China-ASEAN MoU on SPS Cooperation (SPS-MoU), identified the major China-ASEAN cooperation projects in SPS in the coming two years, and issued the Joint Press Statement of the Third China-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (SPS Cooperation).

On September 20, the China-ASEAN SPS Cooperation Information Web jointly developed by the two sides was officially launched, which included sections such as news center, ministerial meeting, technical working groups, SPS regulation, pest risk, concurrent activities and relevant SPS agreements.