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By APD writer Maverick
JAKARTA, Dec. 27 (APD) — Indonesia saw on Wednesday the conclusion of annual China-ASEAN rally event aimed at promoting friendship between the two economies amid the jubilation hype of ASEAN 50th anniversary and the year of China-ASEAN tourism cooperation this year.
Closing ceremony of China-ASEAN International Touring Assembly (CAITA) rally was hosted by an Indonesia’s ivy state campus of University of Indonesia located in Depok, West Java, near the capital city of Jakarta.
Around 70 participants of CAITA paraded 25 cars used in the rally, raised Chinese and each ASEAN member country’s flags in the campus premises prior to the ceremony.
Jointly addressing the closing ceremony ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Mochtan, Charge d’Affaire of China Mission to ASEAN Jiang Qin and UI Rector Muhammad Anis agreed would further boost people-to-people contact and understanding between people in the two economies.
Jiang Qin said that CAITA is originally designed as a journey of friendship and cooperation.
“This bond of friendship and spirit of care and understanding would inject new impetus to the development of China-ASEAN relations,” She said addressing the event held in UI Rectorate premises.
The annual event would see a greater role next year as the two economies would celebrate their 15th strategic partnership relation in the year, she added.
Started in 2006, CAITA was the brainchild of then-ASEAN secretary general Surin Pitsuwan, originally created to build up friendship and understanding among ASEAN people, and in wider range between China and ASEAN people.
Meanwhile, in his turn to deliver remarks, Mochtan said that CAITA provides huge opportunities for people in the two economies to deepen their friendship, experiencing the diverse of culture and daily life in each respective region they passed through during the rally.
“I hope it would create everlasting experiences and impression. Seas, mountains and borders were not hurdles to establish this friendship, the CAITA Rally has proved it,” Mochtan said.
The 11th CAITA this year was departed from China’s Hepu city in southern province of Guangxi on Dec. 11.
The participants, comprised of journalists from China and ASEAN countries, travelled around 10,000 kilometers from Hepu to several ASEAN cities of Hanoi, Vientiane, Bangkok, Yangon, Siem Reap, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bandar Seri Begawan and Manila before concluding their CAITA trips in Jakarta.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
