Xu Yanli, Director General of the Gansu Provincial Foreign Affairs Office
On the occasion of the 8th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo held in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, from September 20 to 22, NEAR Secretary-General Lim Byung-jin met with Xu Yanli, Director General of the Gansu Provincial Foreign Affairs Office to exchange views.
Secretary-General Lim expressed his gratitude for the invitation to the expo and congratulated Gansu Province on its successful hosting of the event. He highlighted Dunhuang’s rich historical and cultural heritage as well as its achievements in cultural preservation and international cultural tourism. Lim further proposed the establishment of a “Sub-Committee on History and Culture” within NEAR to promote exchanges among member governments in the fields of cultural heritage and history.
Director General Xu warmly welcomed Secretary-General Lim’s visit to Dunhuang and emphasized NEAR’s central role in fostering multilateral exchanges among Northeast Asian local governments. She also stated that Gansu Province, as a NEAR member, would actively review the proposal to establish the Sub-Committee on History and Culture.
Separately, Secretary-General Lim met with Zhang Baojun, former Director General of the Gansu Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, to express appreciation for his contributions to NEAR’s development, including facilitating the membership of Gansu Province and Qinghai Province and supporting their active participation in NEAR activities.
((Left) Zhang Baojun, Former Director General of the Gansu Provincial Foreign Affairs Office / (Right) Li Linfang, Director General of the Qingyang City Foreign Affairs Office, Gansu Province
In addition, Secretary-General Lim met with Zhang Baojun, former Director General of the Gansu Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, to express appreciation for his significant contributions to the development of NEAR. Zhang had played a key role in facilitating the membership of both Gansu Province and Qinghai Province, and in encouraging their active participation in various NEAR activities.
Zhang affirmed that NEAR serves as an effective platform for intergovernmental exchange and cooperation in Northeast Asia, and pledged to that continue supporting NEAR's initiatives regardless of his position.