HELD last 13th of January this year, the first ASEAN-China Influencers Conference and Fujian Brands Promotion Tour in the Maritime Silk Road along with Fuzhou, south east of Fujian Province of China, it is also the year wherein it celebrates China and ASEAN 30th year anniversary of dialogue geared toward uplifting their ties in a comprehensive and strategic cooperation.
Revolved around the theme “Set Sail from Blessed Land when the Wind is Positive,” included in the activity is the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the largest free trade deal that would generate progress and opportunity through cooperation in the China and ASEAN collaborations.
Diplomats from ASEAN were the attendees in the said activity in China also representatives of media organizations such as (www.dzmjonline.net at www.diaryongtagalog.net ) as well as online influencers from ASEAN as well as of China.
They had seen and learned the emerging digital industry of Fuzhou as well as the culture of Fujian at the field visits and online activities and they had shared it on their various social media platforms.
The activity focused on collaborations with business and the economy including cultural ties between China and ASEAN in the realm of digital economy, influencer economy and cross border e-commerce.
It also served as a matchmaker for Chinese and ASEAN enterprises, the Fujian Asia-Pacific Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Association is the first provincial-level business association of China to respond to the RCEP agreement
It has paved the way for a series of agreements between Chinese and ASEAN industries which includes the $5.6 Billion intended and signed by the Eversun Holdings Group from Fujian that would invest in ASEAN refinery.
The said conference was greatly attended by online influencers that spread a broader perspective and vision through stories of cooperation between China-ASEAN under the RCEP framework, it also reflected a wider view of collaborations between China and the nations under ASEAN including the Philippines on people-to-people exchanges thereby learning about the depth of regional economic integration between sides.
In a video link China’s Assistant Foreign Minister Hua Chunying, deliver a speech saying that the fruits of cooperation between China-ASEAN in the last 30 years are the reason because of the decisive decisions made by visionary leaders then who has broaden their horizons and has thought of the embracing a fruitful cooperation between sides amid geographical and cultural differences.
She added that online influencers create good and better history everyday “Creative and empathetic, you are sharing the emotional highs and lows of ordinary people on social media and the Internet. Their experience of small serendipities and pursuit of big dreams strike a chord with every one of us and draw people closer across national borders,” says Assistant Foreign Minister Hua Chunying
both online and offline dialogues were made at the conference focus on the correlations between influencer economy and cross border e-commerce and more in depth exchanges with Chinese and ASEAN online influencers which described their visions on the future of e-commerce.
In one dialogue session Chinese influencer shared their stories regarding their immersion with the netizen of ASEAN who also wanted to have apart in the cooperation between China and ASEAN in the field of influencer economy as well as in cross border e-commerce through their respective influences.
Others who had attended at the ASEAN has similar intent like Cambodian gaming streamer Seaneang who says that China and Cambodia had long and historical friendship and she wanted it to continue amid their differences in language and culture.
Indonesian influencer Harini Riswanda says what she wanted like to have strict and secure integrity of cross border e-commerce. While Alexandra Bounxouei of Laos believed that in music and media is the ties that bind China and her country amid their differences in culture, language and traditions..
It is the first forum in China that was attended by senior officials of the government, scholars and online influencers. It is also co-sponsored by ASEAN-China Centre, Global Times Online, Department of Commerce of Fujian Province, Foreign Affairs Office of People’s Government of Fujian Province, at Fuzhou Municipal People’s Government. It is also supported by China Public Diplomacy Association and Mission of People’s Republic of China in ASEAN, at co-organized by Fujian Asia-Pacific Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Association.
Although the internet connectivity in the Philippines is not that fast enough due to limited infrastructure, both www.diaryongtagalog.net at www.dzmjonline.net were able to participate in the first ASEAN-China Online Influencers Conference and Fujian Brands Promotion Tour along Maritime Silk Road and hope that in the near future, similar activities like these that bolster cooperation between China and ASEAN will be organized aiming closed ties as neighbors in the global community//Mary Jane “MJ” Olvina-Balaguer,, +639053611058, konekted@dzmjonline.net and maryjaneolvina@gmail.com DZMJ ONLINE MAKABULUHANG JORNALISMO YOUR HAPPINESS CHANNEL
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