In 2004, Plan of Action to implement Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity was formulated as guidelines in deepening and broadening ASEAN-China relations and cooperation in a comprehensive and mutually beneficial manner for five years (2005-2010). Plan of Action identified the need to explore the possibility of establishing an ASEAN-China Young Entrepreneurs Forum and to implement ASEAN-China Exchange Programmes for Young Managers and Entrepreneurs.
At the First ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting on Youth, on 29-30 September 2004, The Ministers Responsible for Youth of ASEAN and China had strengthened their commitments in promoting ASEAN-China Young Entrepreneur cooperation by signing Beijing Declaration on ASEAN-China Cooperation on Youth. Beijing Declaration expressed the commitments of ASEAN and China Leaders to conduct joint actions in order to facilitate access to credit, markets and business development opportunities, including the establishment of institutions, mechanisms and structures, for ASEAN-Chinese young entrepreneurs.
The establishment of ASEAN-China Young Entrepreneurs Association marked as a flagship project to be implemented that will strengthen socio-cultural cooperation between ASEAN and China when ASEAN and China Leaders signed Joint Statement of ASEAN-China Commemorative Summit, on 30 October 2006 in Nanning, China. At the 10th ASEAN-China Summit in Cebu, Philippines, the Leaders of ASEAN and China agreed that the measures in Joint Statement of ASEAN-China Commemorative Summit should be implemented.
In light of this, Brunei Darussalam organized the ASEAN-China Young Entrepreneurs Workshop on 18-20 June 2008. This workshop discussed and considered a concept paper on the setting up of an ASEAN-China Young Entrepreneurs Association, including its modality, objectives, organisational structure, roles and activities, locations, and sources of funding of the proposed action.
At the end of workshop, there were some recommendations which will be presented at the government level and private sector or business community :
n All ASEAN-CHINA member countries agree that there will be the formation of an association of ASEAN-CHINA Young Entrepreneurs
n Proposed Names:
¨ Asean-China Young Entrepreneurs Association
¨ Asean-China Young Entrepreneurs Federation
¨ Asean-China Young Entrepreneurs Alliance
Proposed Governance
n All ASEAN-CHINA member countries agree that the proposed governance for the association will be based on Option 2 as discussed during the workshop
n It was agreed that there will be 1 Co-Chair from ASEAN & 1 Co-Chair from CHINA
n The duration of Chairmanship, is still to be agreed, proposed duration vary between 1 – 3 years
n The Chair from ASEAN will either follow the annual ASEAN rotation or 3 yearly ASEAN-CHINA country coordinator rotation
n Proposed Secretariat has many varying structures, terms & duration, which will need further discussion before the next workshop in Nanning , China .
Proposed Structure
n General consensus amongst ASEAN-CHINA member countries with the following additional proposals:
¨ To include reports/recommendations to go to ASEAN + China Senior Economic Officials Meeting (SEOM MOFCOM)
¨ To include reports/recommendations to the ASEAN + China Senior Officials Meeting on Youth
¨ To include reports/recommendations to go to the ASEAN - China Joint Co-operation Committee Meeting (ACJCC)
Proposed Channels of Communication
n General consensus amongst ASEAN-CHINA member countries with the following additional proposals:
¨ Members of the ASEAN-China Youth Entrepreneurs Association are the national youth entrepreneurs associations or the equivalent organisations (for countries without a formal association in place)
¨ The Association’s members should maintain close communications with the national government agencies responsible for youth entrepreneurship matters
Proposed Funding
n Proposals discussed during the workshop were as follows:
¨ ASEAN-CHINA Cooperation Fund
¨ Membership fees (for institutions/countries)
¨ Corporate Sponsorship
¨ Cost sharing arrangement (including in-kind support)
General consensus in the workshop was that currently this issue needs further discussion
Proposed Outputs
n General consensus during the workshop that the purposed outputs discussed were agreeable, however, certain outputs should be prioritised: Short, Medium, Long Term
Interim Structure
n A Pro-Tem team to coordinate the various proposals that have been raised at this workshop and prepare for recommendation at the next workshop in Nanning , China
n Brunei is volunteering to lead this process on behalf of ASEAN and work together with China to compile all of the relevant information and proposals from this workshop and leading up to the next meeting in China .
Next workshop will be in Nanning , China (in order to setting up of an ASEAN-China Young Entrepreneurs Association--ASEAN-China Free Trade Area)
