Shanghai – Philippine Consul General Josel F. Ignacio and the seven other Shanghai-based Consuls General of ASEAN Member States have agreed to a collective and coordinated campaign to raise ASEAN’s visibility and sway in the Chinese financial capital and the larger, equally dynamic Yangtze River Delta Region.

The consensus was reached at a working dinner hosted by Thai Consul General Lada Phumas at her Official Residence in Changning District on 7 July. Auguring well for the effort, all eight ASEAN Consuls General made time from their respective full calendars to prioritize this assembly and demonstrate their respective missions’ solidarity.

Currently, eight of 10 ASEAN countries maintain consular missions in Shanghai. Their Consuls General are Mr. Neang Samrithkomar (Cambodia), Mr. Deny Wachyudi Kurnia (Indonesia), Mr. Bouaphat Phoutthavong (Lao PDR), Mr. Syed Farizal Aminy bin Syed Mohamad (Malaysia), Mr. Josel Francisco Ignacio (Philippines), Mr. Chua Teng Hoe (Singapore) and Mr. Ninh Thanh Cong (Vietnam).

The move comes at an auspicious year for relations between ASEAN and China relations, which are celebrating this year the 30^th anniversary of Dialogue Relations, and as ASEAN missions prepare to commemorate the 54^th Founding Anniversary of ASEAN on 8^th August 2021.

The Philippines is currently Coordinator Country for ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, a position it will relinquish in August, after three years. In this capacity, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr., co-chaired with Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi on 07 June 2021, the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Celebration of the 30^th Anniversary of the Dialogue Relations in Chongqing. END