Japan, China pledge to strengthen cooperation, accompany sustainable development with ASEAN sports

On October 17, within the framework of the 8th ASEAN Sports Ministers Meeting (AMMS-8) in Hanoi, the 5th ASEAN-Japan Sports Ministers Meeting (AMMS+Japan 5) and the 2nd ASEAN + China Sports Ministers Meeting were held.

Delegates at the conference held on October 17 in Hanoi .

Japan pledges to accompany ASEAN towards a sustainable future

ASEAN-Japan cooperation in the field of sports has grown strongly over the years, contributing to the promotion of gender equality, school sports, sports for persons with disabilities and sustainable development goals.

Speaking at the Conference, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong highlighted the positive cooperation results between the two sides through the previous four conferences, and also raised the need for continued action so that sports can truly become a driving force for comprehensive development.

With the theme “A Shared Future Through Sports - ASEAN-Japan Cooperation Towards 2030”, the conference reviewed the cooperation process and agreed on priority directions for the coming period.

The report of Deputy Director of the Vietnam Sports Administration Le Thi Hoang Yen affirmed that the Chiang Mai Declaration 2023 is an important foundation for ASEAN-Japan sports cooperation until 2030.

The two sides agreed to continue cooperation in five priority areas: developing sports teachers and coaches; promoting sports for people with disabilities; increasing women's participation in sports; improving anti-doping capacity; and developing sports management and industry.

Delegates at the ASEAN + Japan conference on the morning of October 17.

Mr. Kawai Junichi, Chairman of the Japan Sports Council, representing the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, affirmed that Japan values ​​the spirit of "Heart-to-heart cooperation" with ASEAN, and is committed to sharing experiences and technology to build a comprehensively developed society through sports.

The conference unanimously adopted the AMMS + Japan 5 Joint Statement, reaffirming the commitment to promoting cooperation towards 2030 with a focus on “sports for peace, health and sustainable development”.

At the end of the meeting, Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong highly appreciated Japan's cooperation and hoped to continue receiving active support from partners, especially in the preparation process for the 20th Asian Games in 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya.

He affirmed that Japan's support will contribute significantly to the solidarity and sustainable development of the ASEAN sports community in the future.

ASEAN and China promote sports cooperation for peace

Two co-chairs of the ASEAN + China conference.

Yesterday afternoon, the 2nd ASEAN + China Sports Ministers Meeting, within the framework of the ASEAN Sports Ministers Meeting, concluded with the message: “Joining hands to build a peaceful, dynamic and prosperous ASEAN-China Community through sports”. The event marked a new step in the development of cooperation between the two sides, towards a humane and sustainable future.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong emphasized that sports cooperation between ASEAN and China has achieved many remarkable results in professional exchanges, coach training and school sports development.

He appreciated China's initiatives in supporting training programs, cultural and sports exchanges and sharing experience in organizing large-scale events such as the Beijing Olympics and the Asian Games.

On that basis, Vietnam has proposed three key cooperation initiatives for the 2025-2030 period: developing sports human resources through the ASEAN-China Training and Research Center network; promoting youth sports through tournaments and summer camps; and promoting cultural values ​​and heritage in sports by promoting traditional sports such as Wushu, Tai Chi, Sepak Takraw and Chinese Chess. Vietnam also affirmed that digital transformation is the key to improving the effectiveness of sports cooperation in the new era.

Co-chairing the conference, Deputy Director General of the General Administration of Sports of China Li Jing emphasized that ASEAN is a leading partner in China's neighborhood policy, considering sports as a bridge to enhance understanding and solidarity between the people of the two sides.

He affirmed that China will continue to support ASEAN in training coaches, developing community sports and organizing joint events, especially in traditional sports.

The member states unanimously adopted the ASEAN-China Joint Declaration on Sports Cooperation, which identifies sports as a means to promote peace, understanding and sustainable development. The Declaration outlines five main directions, including the establishment of an ASEAN-China sports cooperation mechanism, promoting people-to-people exchanges, enhancing professional capacity and encouraging cooperative projects such as the “ASEAN Sports Zone”.

The conference also noted the results of joint projects that have completed phase I in Cambodia and Indonesia, and are preparing to expand to Laos, Brunei, Myanmar and Thailand. China affirmed that it will continue to support new initiatives, including the “International Tai Chi Day” to be considered for approval by UNESCO by the end of 2025.

At the end of the conference, delegates agreed on the message: “Sports is a bridge for peace, understanding and cooperation”, and agreed to let Cambodia and China co-chair the 3rd ASEAN + China Sports Ministers Meeting in 2027. Delegates thanked Vietnam for successfully organizing the event, contributing to bringing ASEAN-China sports relations into a more comprehensive and substantive phase of cooperation.

Minh Giang

Source: https://nhandan.vn/nhat-ban-trung-quoc-cam-ket-tang-cuong-hop-tac-dong-hanh-phat-trien-ben-vung-cung-the-thao-asean-post916115.html