Hanoi (VNA) – The 8th ASEAN-Japan Senior Officials Meeting on Sports and the 4th ASEAN-China Senior Officials Meeting on Sports opened in Hanoi on October 15, highlighting efforts to enhance cooperation between ASEAN and its key partners Japan and China in the field of sports.
The two meetings form part of the activities within the framework of the ongoing 16th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Sports (SOM-16) taking place in Hanoi.
ASEAN–Japan sports cooperation framework 2030 focuses on five key areas
At the 8th ASEAN-Japan Senior Officials Meeting on Sports, delegates agreed on key areas of collaboration to support regional sports initiatives under the ASEAN–Japan Sports Cooperation Framework until 2030. The framework outlines five priority areas, including namely developing physical education teachers and sports coaches; increasing women’s participation in sports; promoting sports for persons with disabilities; and strengthening capacity in anti-doping; and sports management.
The delegates welcomed positive progress in implementing joint action plans, reflected in three major initiatives. Among these, the initiatives on promoting physical education teacher education (PETE) and sports for persons with disabilities (SPD) were discussed in detail, with future collaboration plans including the establishment of an ASEAN–Japan Professional Learning Community (PLC) to raise awareness and advocacy for PETE and SPD. A related in-person workshop is scheduled to take place in Tokyo in January 2026.
The ASEAN Football4SDGs project was also recognised for its successful implementation, culminating in the Football4SDGs Forum held in Singapore in April, which gathered participants from both the public and private sectors. The project demonstrates ASEAN’s commitment to the Declaration on the Role of Sports in Building the ASEAN Community and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with hopes for future initiatives to sustain this momentum.
Participants also discussed the implementation of the ASEAN Work Plan on Sports 2021–2025, which includes five projects, 15 programmes, and 56 activities. They commended Japan’s contributions to achieving a high rate of completion and expressed their hope for continued support through the ASEAN–Japan Sports Cooperation Framework 2030, paving the way for the ASEAN Action Plan on Sports 2026–2030.
They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ASEAN–Japan sports cooperation, with outcomes and recommendations to be reported to the upcoming ASEAN-Japan Ministerial Meeting on Sports (AMMS+Japan).
ASEAN–China sports exchanges enhance mutual understanding and trust
The 4th ASEAN-China Senior Officials Meeting on Sports took place in the context of ongoing efforts by ASEAN countries and China to deepen friendship and cooperation across various fields, particularly in sports and human development – a vital pillar of ASEAN’s socio-cultural community-building process.
Addressing the meeting, Nguyen Hong Minh, Deputy Director of the Sports Authority of Vietnam, noted that in recent years, China has actively promoted exchanges, cooperation, and knowledge-sharing in sports, fostering dialogue, coordination, and policy cooperation between ASEAN and China. He affirmed that such sporting exchanges are contributing to greater mutual understanding and trust, socio-economic development, and the maintenance of peace and stability in the region.
Shen Jie, Head of the Chinese Senior Officials delegation, expressed his honour in co-chairing the event with Vietnam, underscoring the spirit of partnership and mutual respect between the two sides. She emphasised that sport is not only a professional area of cooperation but also a powerful tool for promoting peace, friendship, and regional unity.
Delegates shared the view that ASEAN–China sports cooperation plays an essential role in realising the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, towards a dynamic, innovative, and sustainable region.
The 4th ASEAN-China Senior Officials Meeting on Sports served not only as a platform to review and advance sports cooperation programmes but also as an occasion to reaffirm political commitment and solidarity between ASEAN and China.
Amid global uncertainties, sport is increasingly recognised as a means to build trust, foster people-to-people exchanges, and strengthen the foundations for peace and regional stability.
Building on the outcomes of the meetings, Vietnam will continue to work towards implementing agreed initiatives and advancing ASEAN–China sports cooperation to new heights.
The 8th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sports (AMMS-8) is scheduled to open on October 16./.
