From September 16 to 17, 2004, the 6th ASEM Informal Seminar on Human Rights was held in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. The seminar was jointly organized by Chinese Foreign Ministry, Sweden, France and Asia-Europe Foundation. Around 80 representatives from 24 countries in Asia and Europe including the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Malaysia as well as related international organizations.

Assistant Foreign Minister Shen Guofang attended and addressed the seminar, noting that the ASEM Informal Seminar on Human Rights has, since its birth in 1997, become an important platform for countries in Asia and Europe to conduct dialogue and exchanges on an equal footing, and laid down a good basis for all parties in Asia and Europe to continuously expand their consensus and enhance their cooperation on human rights. Against the backdrop of accelerated globalization, international migration has become a prominent issue faced by all the countries in the world. It is a common and arduous task of all countries in Asia and Europe to pursue benefits and avoid the harms of the migration issue, realize the orderly flow of legitimate migrants, combat illicit migration and trafficking of human beings and protect the legitimate rights and interests of all types of migrants. The Chinese government is willing to enhance cooperation with other countries in Asia and Europe to jointly identify solutions to problems existing in migration in Asia and Europe and continue making active contributions to the protection of human rights of international migrants and to the stability and prosperity in Asian and European countries and the world at large.

Views were exchanged in depth on two topics: 1) Overview on the Status of International Migrants in Asia and in Europe and the International Law Framework; and 2) The Trafficking of Human Beings and the Asia-Europe Cooperation. Representatives introduced their respective domestic policies and practices in immigration management and fighting against trafficking of human beings, appealing to countries in Asia and Europe to actively conduct exchanges and cooperation in the field of immigration and take concrete measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of international migrants. All the parties from Asia and Europe held that the meeting was held in a friendly, candid and open atmosphere, which enhanced mutual understanding, expanded consensus and yielded positive results.