Secretary-General of ASEAN Delivers Lecture at China Foreign Affairs University

Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, on 16 September 2026, delivered a lecture at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, China, on the sidelines of his working visit to China. With the theme “ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership: Progress and Prospects,” Dr. Kao took stock of the achievements of the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since its establishment in 2021. He stressed that while ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership may be young, being five years this year, it offers a lot of potential particularly since ASEAN-China relations is founded on a Dialogue Partnership that has been in place since 1991. He highlighted the progress made across the political-security, economic, and socio-cultural dimensions of the partnership, and outlined the prospects for deeper cooperation in areas including connectivity, the digital economy, and the green transition. He underscored the importance of ASEAN Centrality and reaffirmed ASEAN’s commitment to an open, inclusive, and rules-based regional architecture grounded in international law.