The 13th NEAR General Assembly was held online on August 10 in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, the ROK. Over 200 representatives from 76 regional governments of six countries including China, Japan, the ROK, Mongolia, Russia and Vietnam have participated. Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Michigami Hisashi, Secretary-General of Japan-China-ROK Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, delivered congratulatory speeches. Li Chen, Director-General of Ningxia Foreign Affairs Office, delivered a speech on behalf of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Established in 1996, the Association of North East Asia Regional Governments (NEAR) is a regional international cooperation organization formed by 79 provincial governments of China, Japan, the ROK, Mongolia, Russia and the DPRK. It is also one of the most representative multilateral cooperation mechanisms of regional governments in Northeast Asia. Themed as “After 25 years together, into the future we go”, participants exchanged views on pandemic response, economic recovery, emergency response and disaster relief, green energy, climate and ecology, etc. Furthermore, the next chair regional government was elected and a new member was approved during the assembly.

In his speech, Li Chen noted the importance of NEAR in facilitating exchanges among member regional governments and promoting common prosperity in Northeast Asia over the past 25 years. He expressed that since Ningxia joined in NEAR in September 2000, it has always attached great significance to the exchanges and cooperation with other member regional governments. Ningxia now stands ready to build closer ties to enhance understanding, expand win-win cooperation, promote regional development and deepen friendship so as to contribute to the building of a better world and a community with a shared future for mankind.