The Seminar of ASEAN-China Academies on Governance and Public Administration and Think Tanks officially opened in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, this Monday. The event, themed “National Governance and Asian Civilisations,” convenes approximately 100 participants—including officials, scholars and experts from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States and the People’s Republic of China—to explore how regional and global governance can be strengthened through cooperation and consultation. (The Star)
Organisers emphasize that good governance, inclusive institutions and intercultural understanding are essential for sustainable peace, prosperity and regional integration across Asia.
Key highlights of the seminar:
- It brings together academics, government officials and think-tank representatives from both ASEAN and China to engage in dialogue on governance at national, regional and global levels.
- The theme emphasises “Asian civilisations” as a foundation for governance frameworks, encouraging participants to reflect on how traditional values, modern public administration, and cross-cultural approaches can combine to foster inclusive and resilient governance systems. (The Star)
- Chinese participants referenced China’s efforts to contribute to national and regional governance expertise, while ASEAN participants praised the seminar as a practical step towards implementing outcomes from ASEAN-China leaders’ meetings in training, policy exchange and institutional capacity-building.
Implications for ASEAN-China cooperation:
- This seminar underscores the growing emphasis within the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership on not just trade and connectivity, but on governance, institutional development and people-centred cooperation.
- For ASEAN Member States, the platform offers an opportunity to learn from China’s governance models—while simultaneously bringing ASEAN’s diversity of governance practices into dialogue.
- The focus on Asian civilisations and values signals a shift towards regionally rooted frameworks for public administration and governance, potentially enhancing the relevance and legitimacy of such frameworks in ASEAN contexts.
- By bolstering think-tank networks, training academies and public-administration cooperation mechanisms, ASEAN and China may strengthen their joint resilience amid global uncertainty and accelerate governance innovation in areas such as digitalisation, sustainability and public policy.
Quote:
“This seminar marks a meaningful enhancement of ASEAN-China cooperation: by bringing governance institutions, academia and practitioners together, we move beyond declarations and into the realm of implementation, shared learning and mutual capacity-building.” — Senior participant, Seminar of ASEAN-China Academies on Governance
