On September 17, 2026, the sub-forum “Vision 2030 for a Resilient Future: Practices of ASEAN-China Climate-Resilient City Building for a Regional Climate-Resilient Society” of the ASEAN-China Environmental Cooperation Forum 2026 was held in Nanning, Guangxi. The event was co-organized by the China-ASEAN Environmental Cooperation Center / Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China (hereinafter referred to as “the Center”) and the Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, together with UNICEF China and the EarthCare Foundation (ECF), with support from the ASEAN Secretariat. Representatives from China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment and its directly affiliated institutions, local departments of ecology and environment, the ASEAN Secretariat, environmental and climate authorities of ASEAN member states, UN agencies in China, relevant international organizations, research institutes and the private sector attended the event.

Dr. LI Xia, Deputy Director-General of the Center; Ms. CHEN Xiaoou, Director of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China; Mr. Mainak Chatterjee, Climate and Environmental Health Specialist of UNICEF China; Ms. LIU Qin, Deputy Director-General of the Chongqing Ecology and Environment Bureau, China; and Ms. Ho Sau Fong, Director of the EarthCare Foundation attended the event and delivered opening remarks and leading speeches. The meeting featured exchange and discussion under two themes: “ASEAN-China Climate Adaptation Policy Practice - Regional Roundtable Dialogue on Building Climate-Resilient Cities” and “ASEAN-China Dialogue on Sustainable Livelihoods and Climate Resilience for Coastal Communities”.

LI Xia said that cities and communities are the core units directly facing the impacts of climate change, and enhancing climate resilience has become a common goal of sustainable development for both China and ASEAN countries. In recent years, the two sides have deepened cooperation in climate risk assessment, climate-resilient city building and green finance innovation, producing a number of practical and replicable cases. The China-ASEAN Environmental Cooperation Center will continue to play its role as a platform for regional cooperation and, together with all parties, work under the guidance of the Framework of ASEAN-China Environmental Cooperation Strategy and Action Plan 2026–2030 to translate mutual learning on policies and experience into tangible and effective actions, jointly building a climate-resilient society in the region.

CHEN Xiaoou said that in recent years, China has continued to contribute its strength to climate action by updating its nationally determined contributions, advancing the development of climate-resilient cities and participating in multilateral consultations on global climate governance. China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to promote the deep alignment of the Framework of ASEAN-China Environmental Cooperation Strategy and Action Plan 2026–2030 with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and the policies of various countries, plan practical cooperation projects in areas such as climate-resilient cities and inclusive development in climate resilience, and explore the development of a regional climate risk map and sustainable pathways for climate adaptation investment and financing, contributing to building a beautiful China-ASEAN home and a climate-resilient society in the region.

Mainak Chatterjee said that climate change profoundly affects children’s health, education and development rights, and paying attention to children and other vulnerable groups in climate adaptation action has a direct bearing on the realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to children. UNICEF is currently carrying out in-depth cooperation with the Chinese side, integrating a child perspective into climate adaptation policies and actions through the phased pathway of “risk identification - pilot testing - nationwide rollout”. In the future, UNICEF is ready to act together with China and ASEAN member states to incorporate the needs of children and other vulnerable groups into national adaptation strategies and community climate actions, jointly building a more inclusive and resilient regional climate governance system.

LIU Qin said that Chongqing, as a mountainous city along the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, faces multiple climate risks including floods and high temperatures. In recent years, the city has continuously explored pathways for climate adaptation in mountain cities by coordinating ecological protection and restoration, urban infrastructure upgrading and community capacity building. Going forward, Chongqing hopes to strengthen the exchange of practical experience in climate-resilient cities with ASEAN countries through the ASEAN-China environmental cooperation platform, contributing local wisdom to regional climate adaptation action.

Ho Sau Fong said that the EarthCare Foundation focuses on three major areas: food and agriculture systems, sustainable livelihoods and environmental protection. Through multi-level, in-depth cooperation with local farmers, industry organizations and specialized government departments in China, the Foundation attaches importance to the core value of local knowledge and actively promotes climate-friendly rice cultivation, accumulating good experience in enhancing community climate adaptation capacity. Looking ahead, the Foundation is ready to serve as a bridge, linking multiple partners through the ASEAN-China environmental cooperation platform and promoting the translation of regional consensus and knowledge products into practical cooperation at the community level.

At the roundtable dialogue on “ASEAN-China Climate Adaptation Policy Practice - Building Climate-Resilient Cities”, Ms. XU Qing, Programme Officer of UNICEF China; Mr. Ma Chansethea, Director of the General Directorate of Policy and Strategy, Ministry of Environment, Cambodia; Mr. MO Ziqing, Deputy Director of Shenzhen Ecology and Environment Bureau, Guangdong Province of China; Mr. XU Shiming, Chief Engineer of the Yangzhou Ecology and Environment Bureau, Jiangsu Province of China; Mr. ZHANG Yingzhong, Deputy Director of the Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China; and representatives of the Center shared policy frameworks and practical experience in building climate-resilient cities. The speakers agreed that, with mutual learning on urban climate adaptation experience as the priority, the parties should strengthen exchanges and cooperation in consolidating data foundations, improving cross-departmental coordination and responding to the needs of vulnerable groups, which is of great significance for implementing the Framework of ASEAN-China Environmental Cooperation Strategy and Action Plan 2026–2030, accelerating the regional adaptation transition and enhancing overall climate adaptation capacity.

During the session on “ASEAN-China Dialogue on Sustainable Livelihoods and Climate Resilience for Coastal Communities”, Mr. Phuriputr Huvanandana, Environmentalist of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand; Ms. Zhang Yanwen, Senior Principal Officer of the Department of Ecology and Environment of Hainan Province, China; Ms. Sharon Quamilia Korompot, Senior Legal Analyst of the Ministry of Environment, Indonesia; Mr. Kyaw Thura Hlaing, Director of the Environmental Conservation Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Myanmar; Mr. Rivaldo Guterres, Technical Professional of the National Directorate for Pollution Control, Ministry of Tourism and Environment, Timor-Leste; and Ms. Sudawadee Limpaibul, Programme Coordinator of the EarthCare Foundation delivered thematic presentations. The speakers introduced national practices and cases from the dimensions of climate adaptation policy frameworks, blue carbon ecosystem restoration, community climate action, coordination of coastal livelihoods and local project implementation, and agreed to further deepen regional knowledge sharing, technical exchanges and partnership collaboration between China and ASEAN, strengthen community participation, and coordinate ecological and environmental protection with livelihood improvement, so as to explore more feasible pathways for building a climate-resilient society in the region.

This meeting was one of the sub-forums of the ASEAN-China Environmental Cooperation Forum 2026, aiming to share good practices in building climate-resilient cities and coastal communities in the region, discuss the challenges and opportunities for deepening the development of a climate-resilient society in the region, and provide outcome support for the implementation of the Framework of ASEAN-China Environmental Cooperation Strategy and Action Plan 2026–2030.