Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, met with Vice Minister of Education of the People's Republic of China, H.E. Ren Youqun, on the sidelines of the World Jurists Forum 2026 in Beijing on Monday, according to the ASEAN Secretariat.
The meeting focused on advancing ASEAN-China cooperation in education, with both sides exchanging views on strengthening digital transformation in learning, fostering innovation and academic exchanges, and deepening people-to-people connectivity across the region.
Dr. Kao underscored the shared commitment of ASEAN and China to promote inclusive, future-ready education systems, noting that expanded educational collaboration and exchanges would enhance mutual understanding between the peoples of ASEAN member states and China.
Vice Minister Ren Youqun welcomed the Secretary-General's perspectives and expressed China's continued commitment to deepening educational partnerships with Southeast Asia, particularly through scholarship programmes, digital learning platforms, and joint research initiatives.
The discussion forms part of the broader engagement between ASEAN and China in the education sector, which has seen growing cooperation in recent years through initiatives such as the ASEAN-China Year of Educational Exchange and collaborative programmes under the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, established in 2023.
Context of the Beijing Visit
Dr. Kao Kim Hourn's meeting with Vice Minister Ren came on the final day of a multi-day visit to Beijing, during which the ASEAN Secretary-General delivered a keynote address at the World Jurists Forum 2026, was conferred an honorary professorship by the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), and was appointed Honorary Dean of the newly inaugurated China-ASEAN School at CUPL. He also participated in interviews with CGTN and China.org.cn discussing the future of ASEAN-China cooperation.
The World Jurists Forum 2026, hosted by CUPL, brought together legal scholars, policymakers, and diplomats from across Asia to discuss the role of the rule of law in promoting regional stability and development.
Strategic Significance
The meeting carries particular significance as ASEAN and China continue to deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership across political-security, economic, and socio-cultural pillars. Education cooperation has emerged as a key component of this relationship, with both sides recognising the importance of human capital development in driving sustainable growth and regional integration.
China has been a major dialogue partner of ASEAN since 1991 and became the first dialogue partner to elevate relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023. Education and cultural exchanges have been integral to the partnership's success, with thousands of students from ASEAN member states studying in Chinese universities under various scholarship programmes.
The ASEAN Secretariat has increasingly prioritised digital transformation in education as part of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025, working with dialogue partners including China to bridge the digital divide and ensure equitable access to quality education across the region.
Both sides expressed confidence that continued collaboration in education would contribute to the broader goals of the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, fostering a more connected, resilient, and prosperous region.
VERIFICATION MATRIX
Source A: ASEAN Main Portal (asean.org) — Official RSS Feed, published 6 July 2026 07:40 UTC
Source B: Google News syndication of ASEAN Main Portal release, indexed 6 July 2026 08:18 UTC
Contextual sources: ASEAN Secretariat press releases (5-6 July 2026) on SG's Beijing visit programme
