A Sugar Painting artist at work at the 2019 ASEAN-China Fair in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Wang Bozun/GT

A Sugar Painting artist at work at the 2019 ASEAN-China Fair in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Wang Bozun/GT

The 2019 ASEAN-China Fair was jointly held in Beijing on Wednesday by the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) and Beijing People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

The event was held to celebrate the 52nd anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN, the 2019 ­ASEAN-China Year of Media Exchanges and the ASEAN Cultural Year. 

Secretary-General of ACC Chen Dehai, along with guests from ASEAN countries and China including Vietnamese Ambassador to China Dang Minh Khoi and Malaysian Ambassador-Designate to China Raja Dato' Nushirwan Zainal Abidin attended the event.

Chen said in his remarks that the ASEAN Community has played a central role in promoting regional cooperation, and has made positive contributions to the stability and prosperity of Asia, and has also been an important engine for promoting world economic growth. Chen noted that since the establishment of the strategic partnership between ASEAN and China 16 years ago, ASEAN-China relations have entered a new stage of all-around development. 

"Among ASEAN's many dialogue partnerships, ASEAN plus China stands out as the most vibrant pair with the most substantial cooperation," Chen said.

The event demonstrated the colorful cultures and unique traditional cuisines of both ASEAN and China, and featured singing and dancing performances from ASEAN countries such as Indonesia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, a Chinese folk musical instrument sanxian performance, a diabolo show, as well as intangible cultural heritage displays such as Yu Style Straw Artworks, Royal Circular Fan and Sugar Painting.