On April 7, 2022, The seminar on the Construction Project of the ASEAN-China Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Public Health  was successfully held online. The main members of the project were experts and scholars from the International Cooperation Office of Peking University Health Science Center, the School of Public Health, the Institute of Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and College of ASEAN Studies, Guangxi Minzu University, who discussed and exchanged views on the project implementation and specific implementation. The seminar was hosted by Professor Meng Qingyue, Director and Project Leader of the China Health Development Research Center of Peking University, and researcher Xu Ming, Director of the Department of Global Health.

Sun Qiudan, Director of the International Cooperation Department of Peking University Health Science Center, first described the background of the project. In order to actively respond to "Helping ASEAN strengthen the construction of grass-roots public health system and personnel training, and improving its ability to respond to major public health emergencies", proposed by General Secretary Xi at the Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, and Premier Li Keqiang's initiative of "Establishing the ASEAN-China Public Health Science and Technology Cooperation Center to promote public health cooperation empowered by science and technology" at the 24th ASEAN-China Summit, the " ASEAN-China Public Health Science and Technology Cooperation Center Construction Project", as a regular science and technology assistance project for developing countries, was established in the Ministry of Science and Technology on December 15, 2021. He emphasized that the construction of the ASEAN-China Science and Technology Health Center is a long-term work, and the project, as the beginning of the construction of the center, has made great contributions.

Professor Meng Qingyue comprehensively introduced the overall design and planning of the project. It is proposed that the construction project of the ASEAN-China Public Health Science and Technology Cooperation Center needs the cooperation and joint exploration of experts and scholars from different fields. Taking cooperation in the prevention and control of major infectious diseases and technical assistance as the starting point, explore the mechanism and path for building ASEAN-China Public Health Science and Technology Cooperation Center, and promote ASEAN-China public health cooperation. The project will work with domestic and ASEAN partners to establish a set of ASEAN-China public health science and technology cooperation system and mechanism, produce a batch of ASEAN-China public health science and technology cooperation achievements, cultivate a ASEAN-China public health science and technology cooperation team, and build a ASEAN-China public health data and personnel exchange platform.

Researcher Liu Qiyong, Chief Expert of Vector Biology at the Institute of Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Director of the Vector Biology Control Office and Head of the cooperative unit, said that ASEAN is one of the regions with the closest foreign exchange and cooperation in China. Public health, especially the prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases, is a major theme of common concern for China and ASEAN countries, as well as a strategic focus of China's foreign assistance. The project, which starts with scientific and technological cooperation on COVID-19, malaria and other major infectious diseases in the ASEAN region, is highly consistent with the current major health cooperation needs of ASEAN countries. The research team has a solid foundation of cooperation with relevant research institutions in ASEAN countries in the field of public health. This project further focuses on the weaknesses in the public health in ASEAN and lays a solid foundation for the ASEAN-China public health joint research and development demonstration project.

Professor Ye Xingyi, Secretary of the Party branch, Executive Vice Dean and Director of the cooperative unit of the College of ASEAN Studies, Guangxi Minzu University, made a comprehensive introduction to the project team, discipline characteristics and achievements in ASEAN cooperation and exchange. He said that the College of ASEAN Studies, as a cooperative unit, will provide full support for policy development, human resource capacity building, health big data platform building and other aspects of ASEAN-China public health science and technology cooperation.

Finally, researcher Xu Ming, director of the Department of Global Hygiene of the School of Public Health, explained and introduced the construction content, specific implementation plan and recent work arrangement of the project in detail. Subsequently, the Heads of each sub project, Professor Wang Haijun, Professor Liu Xiaoyun, Researcher Cui Fuqiang, Researcher Liu Jue, Associate Researcher Jin Yinzi and the main members of the cooperative unit discussed the specific activities and expected outputs of the project implementation one by one, fully communicated the difficulties and challenges that may exist in the project implementation process, and also put forward suggestions on project progress management and other issues.

The convening of this meeting marked the beginning of the construction project of ASEAN-China Public Health Science and Technology Cooperation Center. The project, in response to the initiative put forward by the Premier at the 24th ASEAN-China Leaders' Summit, takes scientific and technological cooperation on COVID-19, malaria and other major infectious diseases in the ASEAN region as the starting point, works with partners of ASEAN countries to establish a more effective ASEAN-China public health cooperation mechanism, builds a scientific research base, scientific and technological innovation base and talent training base for ASEAN-China public health scientific and technological cooperation, promotes deeper cooperation between China and ASEAN in the field of public health, builds regional health security, improves people's health, and achieves the goal of building a global community of health for all proposed by President Xi Jinping. The main construction contents include exploring and establishing the operation mechanism and supporting policies of the ASEAN-China Public Health Science and Technology Cooperation Center, carrying out the ASEAN-China public health joint research and development demonstration project, building the ASEAN-China public health big data management platform, implementing the ASEAN-China public health talent cultivation plan, conducting the ASEAN public health science and technology cooperation and exchange visits project, and holding annual ASEAN-China public health science and technology cooperation exchange meeting. Peking University is the first responsible unit of the construction project of ASEAN-China Public Health Science and Technology Cooperation Center, Peking University Medical Department is the project responsible unit, and the Institute of Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control of China Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the ASEAN College of College of ASEAN Studies, Guangxi Minzu University are the cooperative units.