On October 25th, the China-ASEAN Youth Economic and Trade Development Forum (The 11th China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week—Perceiving China) was held in Room 212, Mingzheng Building on West Campus. Attending the forum were Zhang Qin, the vice president of GZU, and Wang Rui, the Director of the Office for China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week Secretariat. Also present at the Forum were 90 international students of GZU, Guizhou Normal University and Guizhou Minzu University.

The event was hosted by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) and the Secretariat of the Organizing Committee of China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week. It was organized by GZU, with the College of International Education and the College of Economics responsible for the agenda of the Forum.

Zhang Qin delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. She observed that the educational exchanges between China and ASEAN countries have been growing during recent years and the number of students from ASEAN countries has been rapidly rising, so it is urgent to improve the quality in the education of young students from ASEAN countries and instruct them to be the promoters and practitioners of China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation. She also said that the forum is aimed at creating an exchange platform to help the students understand the economic and trade cooperation between the two sides and encourage them to explore new patterns of China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation.

In Wang Rui’s speech, she expressed the hope that the forum enhances students’ perception of the potential for mutual economic and trade development. Meanwhile, she called on Chinese and foreign students to be rigorous in study and firm in beliefs, and to help promote the new pattern of China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation. Making full use of its own advantages, the Secretariat of the China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week Organizing Committee will play an active role in building a platform for education and international exchanges in Guizhou.

A Cambodian student named Sulla, the representative of ASEAN international students in GZU, described in fluent Chinese how Guizhou and China impressed her. She expected more Chinese students to study in Cambodia so as to enhance exchanges between the two countries.

After the opening ceremony, Li Xuan, a teacher at GZU, delivered a keynote speech, The Status Quo and Countermeasures in China’s Export Trade to ASEAN. This was followed by keynote speeches by other five international students.

In the afternoon, the discussion revolved around two issues: first, the advantages and complement in China-ASEAN industry; second, challenges in China-ASEAN development and operation. Professor Li Yujuan and Associate Professor He Lv of the College of Economics reviewed the discussion, and Ma Hongmei, the vice dean of the College of Economics, made a concluding speech.

On October 26th, the participants of the Forum visited places including the Guizhou Digital Economy Exhibition Center, Beige Big Data Company in Shuangchuang Park of Huaxi College Town, Company of China Data Pay, the Planning Hall of Gui’an New Area, Baiyun Technology Co., Ltd. and Gui’an Comprehensive Bonded Zone.

Text： Li Hui and Huang Linyu, GZU News Center
Photography： Li Baifeng, GZU News Center
Editor：  Yin Zixi
Senior editor： Yang Bo