The ASEAN-China Environmental Cooperation Forum 2026 was held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from September 16 to 17, 2026. The forum was co-hosted by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China and the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with support from the ASEAN Secretariat and the UNICEF China, and was organized by the China-ASEAN Environmental Cooperation Center / the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment / the Technical Center for the Implementation of Environmental Conventions (hereinafter referred to as "CAEC") and the Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Under the theme of "From Vision to Action: Co-creating a Green Development Future," Ms. SUI Guohua, Vice Governor, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China; Ms. CUI Dandan, Deputy Director-General, Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China; Mr. Sanjay Wijesekera, Regional Director of the Asia-Pacific Region, UNICEF; and Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, attended and addressed the forum. Dr. LI Xia, Deputy Director-General of CAEC, presided over the opening ceremony. The Framework of ASEAN-China Environmental Cooperation Strategy and Action Plan 2026-2030 (hereinafter referred to as "the New Framework") was officially released at the forum.
Ms. SUI Guohua said that, through more than a decade of dedicated efforts, the ASEAN-China Environmental Cooperation Forum has grown into an important platform for advancing regional green governance and deepening practical ecological cooperation. As the frontier and window of China's opening-up and cooperation with ASEAN, Guangxi has always made ecology and environment cooperation a priority in bilateral practical cooperation and kept advancing the ASEAN-China green partnership in depth and substance. Taking the release of the New Framework as an opportunity, Guangxi is ready to work with ASEAN countries to jointly build a regional climate-resilient system, foster a new pattern of low-carbon circular development, and promote mutual learning and integration of science, technology and culture.
Ms. CUI Dandan said that over the past five years, ASEAN-China environmental cooperation has kept pace with the strong momentum of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides, with the level of practical cooperation continuously improved. China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to jointly implement the New Framework, promote mutual reinforcement between the four global initiatives and the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 in green and low-carbon development, maintain close communication and coordination between the two sides on positions regarding major global environmental and climate issues to jointly safeguard the interests of developing countries, and explore models of green investment and sustainable finance to give full play to the supporting role of green finance in regional sustainable development.
Mr. Sanjay Wijesekera said that the Asia-Pacific region is among the regions with the highest climate risks for children in the world, with more than 206 million children facing multiple climate hazards such as heatwaves, cyclones, floods and air pollution. UNICEF has been actively advancing climate action for children, strengthening the adaptive capacity of communities and public services, supporting young people in participating in and leading climate action, and galvanizing all parties to jointly reduce their environmental footprints. The New Framework marks an important milestone in regional cooperation, and he looks forward to working with China and ASEAN countries to build a child-friendly future of green development.
Dr. Kao Kim Hourn said that this year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN-China dialogue relations and the fifth anniversary of the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. ASEAN and China have been each other's largest trading partners for six consecutive years and, through the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol (CAFTA 3.0), have continuously expanded cooperation in green trade, the digital economy and sustainable development. Looking ahead, he expressed the hope that, with the New Framework as the core, the two sides will continue to deepen practical actions in climate change response, sustainable value chains and green finance, jointly promoting regional sustainable development.
During the keynote session, Dr. LI Xia, Deputy Director-General of CAEC; Dr. CHEN Liang, Director-General, Department of Ecology and Environment, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China; Ms. WANG Qian, OIC, Head of China Office, UNEP; Dr. Cuk Supriyadi Ali Nandar, Chairman of the Research Organization for Energy and Manufacturing, National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia; Mr. Ma Chansethea, the representative of General Directorate of Policy and Strategy, Ministry of Environment, Cambodia; and Dr. BounEua Khamphilavanh, the representative of Department of Environment, Ministry of Agricultural and Environment, Lao PDR shared their views on the theme of "Retrospect and Prospects of ASEAN-China Environmental Cooperation." The session was moderated by Dr. ZENG Hui, Chief Engineer, Department of Ecology and Environment, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
Dr. LI Xia said that over the past five years, the ASEAN-China environmental cooperation mechanism has been continuously consolidated and improved, with flagship projects such as climate adaptation and green value chains making solid progress. In the face of the complex landscape of global environmental and climate governance, CAEC will focus on the five strategic directions of the New Framework, and together with regional and international partners, promote the in-depth integration of green development with industry and the economy, strengthen the supporting role of green finance in the region's sustainable transition, and inject new green impetus into building a "beautiful homeland" for China and ASEAN.
Dr. CHEN Liang said that Guangxi adheres to ecological conservation priority and green development. Its ecological and environmental quality consistently ranks among the best in China, the development of clean energy at scale is accelerating, and remarkable progress has been made in the transformation and upgrading of green industries. The construction of major corridors such as the Pinglu Canal has embodied the concept of ecological conservation. Guangxi will continue to deepen practical cooperation with ASEAN countries in ecological conservation, green trade and economy, and science, technology and people-to-people exchanges, and jointly advance green and sustainable development in the region under the guidance of the Strategy and Action Framework 2026-2030.
Ms. WANG Qian said that over the past five years, ASEAN-China environmental cooperation has continued to deepen with fruitful outcomes. As the region faces intertwined challenges of intensifying climate risks, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution, the official release of the New Framework has charted a clear and pragmatic action roadmap for regional environmental cooperation over the next five years. Leveraging its strengths in science-policy interface and global practices, UNEP will work to translate the consensus of the two sides into concrete results and jointly create a green and prosperous regional future.
Dr. Cuk Supriyadi Ali Nandar said that Indonesia has developed technological solutions tailored to local application scenarios, including intelligent environmental monitoring, modular water treatment, and waste valorization and recycling, by building a national R&D and innovation network in the fields of resources and environment. ASEAN-China environmental cooperation provides an important opportunity for collaborative innovation in regional environmental technology. Indonesia looks forward to deepening joint regional research and development, technology demonstration and capacity building under the Strategy and Action Framework 2026-2030 to jointly address shared environmental challenges.
Mr. Ma Chansethea said that environmental cooperation has become one of the most dynamic areas of the ASEAN-China relationship. The New Framework is highly consistent with ASEAN's overall environmental strategic planning and with Cambodia's long-term carbon neutrality strategy and climate goals. Cambodia looks forward to further deepening practical cooperation in such priority areas as climate-resilient urban development, circular economy and pollution control, and personnel capacity building, to jointly promote inclusive, green and resilient development in the region.
Dr. BounEua Khamphilavanh said that Laos, with agriculture, forestry and natural resources as the foundation of its development, is committed to coordinating ecological conservation with economic development and steadily advancing its green and low-carbon transition. Within the New Framework of ASEAN-China cooperation, Laos has implemented practical cooperation projects such as low-carbon development demonstrations, biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation actions. Laos looks forward to continuing to deepen cooperation in sustainable infrastructure development, carbon market development and green supply chain building under the guidance of the New Framework, jointly promoting green and sustainable development.
The forum featured parallel sub-forums, including " Vision 2030 for a Resilient Future: Practices of ASEAN-China Climate-Resilient City Building for a Regional Climate-Resilient Society" "ASEAN–China Collaborative Dialogue on Green Circular Industries and the International Environmental Conventions Implementation", and "ASEAN-China Green Finance Innovation Partnership Dialogue and Best Practice Sharing". More than 200 representatives from environmental authorities of ASEAN countries, diplomatic envoys to China, Chinese local ecological and environmental departments, and relevant international organizations, research institutions and enterprises attended the forum.
Participants spoke highly of the remarkable achievements of ASEAN-China environmental cooperation and expressed the hope of continuing to deepen practical cooperation between the two sides in ecological and environmental protection and climate change response. Centering on the five strategic directions established by the New Framework, namely environment and climate policy dialogue and capacity building, sustainable cities and green low-carbon circular development, addressing climate change and air quality improvement, ecosystem sustainable management and biodiversity conservation, and green investment and sustainable finance, they will jointly address global and regional environmental and climate challenges, translate policy consensus into concrete actions, and bring ASEAN-China environmental cooperation to new heights.
As a platform for environmental policy dialogue and exchange between China and ASEAN countries, the ASEAN-China Environmental Cooperation Forum has been successfully held for 15 sessions since 2011, playing an important role in serving the building of a closer ASEAN-China community with a shared future and in promoting regional green development and ecological civilization.
