Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin applauded the key role played by ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) in materialising tourism cooperation between China and ASEAN and expressed willingness to deliver more tangible outcomes of cooperation with the support from the ACC.
“These potential plans can be done with the support from the ACC to bolster Bruneian tourism to the Chinese market by organising familiarisation trips to Brunei for Chinese influencers and providing language training for local tourism practitioners in Brunei,” he said during a meeting with ACC Secretary General Shi Zhongjun.
“We are also looking forward to expand cooperation domains, leveraging on the ACC’s resources, to such areas as hybrid rice planting, smart seeding, green agriculture and capacity building for Bruneian farmers,” the minister said.
Shi said ASEAN and China enjoy a cultural affinity and time-honoured friendly exchanges and stand out as each other’s major tourist destination and source market.
The year 2024 has been designated as ASEAN-China Year of People-to-people Exchanges, and China has launched visa-exemption policies with some ASEAN countries including Brunei, which will bring people-to-people exchanges to new heights, enhance mutual learning and understanding, he added.
“Looking forward, the ACC will continue to work as a platform to revitalise tourism industries, promote tourist destinations and popular tourism routes in ASEAN countries, and familiarise the Chinese public with Brunei through the ACC-sponsored flagship projects such as ASEAN-China Week and A Cloud Tour of ASEAN with the ACC. We look forward to the continued support and cooperation from the ministry in advancing quality tourism cooperation between China and ASEAN with Brunei included,” added Shi.
