BEIHAI – The 17th ASEAN-China Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction took place in Beihai, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on June 26, 2023. The theme of the forum was “Deepening regional cooperation, promoting poverty reduction and rural development”. Around 200 government officials from China and ASEAN countries, ASEAN diplomatic missions in China, representatives of international organizations and NGOs, experts, academicians, and entrepreneurs joined the four-day international event.

Liu Huanxin, administrator of National Rural Revitalization Administration, spoke at the opening ceremony about the exchange and cooperation between China and ASEAN countries in the areas of poverty reduction and rural development. Ekkaphab Phanthavong, deputy secretary-general of ASEAN for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, noted that the forum served as an important platform for policymakers and experts to exchange views and share good practices.

The forum aimed to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future, advance the Global Development Initiative and implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with concerted efforts . The participants recognized the urgent need to address the multidimensional aspects of poverty and emphasized the significance of comprehensive approaches that consider social, economic, and environmental factors.