ASEAN ambassadors in Beijing and the Secretary-General of the ASEAN-China Centre pose for a group photo. — VNA/VNS Photo Công Tuyên

BEIJING — The Vietnamese Embassy in China, in its capacity as rotating chair of the ASEAN Committee in Beijing (ACB), hosted a ceremony on Thursday to celebrate the 59th anniversary of ASEAN, with the participation of ambassadors and representatives of ASEAN member states and the ASEAN-China Centre.

The ASEAN embassies in Beijing also welcomed the newly appointed Secretary-General of the ASEAN-China Centre, Zhang Lizhong, on the occasion.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador Phạm Thanh Bình said that after 59 years of formation and development, ASEAN has grown into a community of 11 member states, reflecting the region’s diversity and dynamism.

He highlighted ASEAN’s ability to listen to one another, respect diversity, manage differences and build consensus as among the key lessons underpinning the bloc’s strength and enabling it to move forward together.

Bình also spoke highly of the positive development of ASEAN-China relations, expressing his hope that the two sides would continue to tap their considerable potential for cooperation in the coming period.

For his part, Zhang thanked ASEAN ambassadors and representatives in Beijing for their warm welcome, affirming that the ASEAN-China Centre would continue to serve as a bridge between the two sides.

The centre will work closely with ASEAN diplomatic missions in China to promote exchanges, deepen mutual understanding and expand practical cooperation among the parties, he said.

The messages delivered at the celebration underscored the continued importance attached by both sides to strengthening ASEAN-China relations based on friendship, trust and mutually beneficial cooperation, thereby contributing to peace, stability and development in Southeast Asia and the wider Asian region.

The programme also featured exchanges among participants in a friendly atmosphere, highlighting the unity, solidarity and close bonds within the ASEAN community in Beijing. — VNA/VNS