On August 29th, the 2023 China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (hereafter CAECW), with the theme “New Vision for Education Cooperation, Common Prosperity for Belt and Road”, opened in the Gui'an New Area.

Huai Jinpeng, Secretary of the CPC Leadship Group of the Ministry of Education and Minister of Education, delivered a keynote speech. Xu Lin, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Guizhou Provincial People's Congress, attended the event. Phout Simmalavong, Minister of Education and Sports from Laos, and Nyunt Phay, Minister of Education from Myanmar, as well as J. Prosero Devera III, Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education of the Philippines, delivered speeches. Li Bingjun, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee and Governor, gave a welcome speech. Nadiem Anwar Makarim, Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, and Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, spoke via video links. Ministers of Education from other countries in attendance via video included Nguyen Kim Son, Hajah Romaizah Haji Md Salleh from Brunei, and Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin from Malaysia. Other guests were Om Romny, Secretary of State for Youth and Sports of the Ministry of Education of Cambodia; Haque, Ambassador of Pakistan to China; Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of the ASEAN-China Center; Liu Limin, President of the China Education Association for International Exchange and former Vice Minister of Education; Yu Hong, Ambassador of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; together with local leaders including Shi Yubao, Chen Shaobo, Wang Shijie, Zhang Jingping, and Zhang Guangqi. The opening ceremony were chaired by Chen Jie, Deputy Minister of Education, and Lu Yongzheng, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee.

The opening ceremony was attended by directors from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education, officials from ASEAN educational sectors, ambassadors to China, coordinators from relevant international organizations, key personnel and experts from universities, research institutions, and well-known enterprises. Representatives from provincial, regional, and municipal educational departments were also present. GZU President Song Bao'an and Vice President Zhou Shaoqi both attended the ceremony.

In his speech, Huai Jinpeng highlighted the crucial role of education in fostering the China-ASEAN Community with a Shared Future and promoting common prosperity and stronger ties between China and ASEAN nations. He emphasized the need to focus on President Xi's five proposals for building a shared future, and to unleash new dynamism in the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership to achieve positive results in educational exchanges and cooperation. China is committed to working closely with ASEAN countries, leveraging the support and guidance of education, and developing talented individuals and making innovative efforts for the expansion of the "Belt and Road" initiative. This will facilitate stronger support from the grassroots and local communities, contributing to stable and sound regional development and friendly ties between China and ASEAN nations.

Li Bingjun, representing Secretary Xu Lin, expressed a warm welcome and gratitude to the guests. He spoke highly of the event, which has been held for 16 years and has become the most significant government-to-government education cooperation platform between China and ASEAN. As the permanent host of the Education Cooperation Week, Guizhou has prioritized President Xi's messages, focusing on placing education at the forefront and promoting balanced improvements in the education sector. Looking towards a new historical phase, Guizhou is dedicated to contributing to the China-ASEAN Community with a Shared Future. It is committed to collaborating with all parties to enhance cooperation in educational projects. Additionally, Guizhou will continue to pursue practical cooperation in various fields such as economics and trade, culture, and tourism.

Phout Simmalavong emphasized the valuable opportunity provided by this event for China and ASEAN to exchange ideas, share experiences, and strengthen ties. Laos is committed to collaborating with China and ASEAN countries to further facilitate practical cooperation programs, including student exchanges and joint research. Nyunt Phay highlighted the immense potential for educational cooperation between China and ASEAN, emphasizing the need to form a stronger bond for common prosperity, promote human resource development, and boost regional integration. J. Prospero Devera III recognized the shared vision represented by this event, which aims to enhance exchanges and cooperation between China and ASEAN. Through deepened digital education and other collaborative programs, mutual prosperity and development can be fostered for both sides. In a video message, Nadiem Anwar Makarim acknowledged the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative and expressed hope for a new vision of education-related cooperation between China and ASEAN, leading to shared prosperity and a bright future for all of humanity. Kao Kim Hourn, in his video message, praised the CAECW as an important platform for educational exchanges and strengthened unity. He expressed hope that both sides would seize this opportunity to accelerate the development of a more innovative, inclusive, and sustainable China-ASEAN education community.

During the opening ceremony, Huai Jinpeng, Xu Lin, Li Bingjun, and Chen Jie collectively inaugurated the Alliance for Economics and Management Education and the China-ASEAN Network on Financial and Economic Education. Huai Jinpeng presented the "Understanding China: ASEAN Youth Leaders' Workshop in China" flag to the youth leaders. Additionally, the provincial government signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Central University of Finance and Economics and Harbin Institute of Technology. Various departments also signed partnership programs. After enjoying a performance titled "Colorful Harmony" and watched a thematic video, the leaders and guests visited the CAECW exhibition.

Editor: Pang Aizhong

Chief Editor: Li Xufeng

Senior Editor: Yang Nan

Translator: Li Xiaorong