CICCC Leadership meets with Thairath Foundation Delegation

      First vice chairman of the China International Cultural Communication Center Tang Tianbiao along with executive chairman Long Yuxiang met with visiting former Thai Vice Prime Minister Phinij Jarusombat and Thairath Foundation Delegation on 10th November.

CICCC Leadership meets with isiting former Thai Vice Prime Minister Phinij Jarusombat and Thairath Foundation Delegation on 10^th November   (Photo by Yuan Fan)

      The two sides exchanges thoughts on enhancing cultural communication and cooperative initiatives between the two countries. Tang Bianbiao firstly accorded a warm welcome to the Thairath Foundation Delegation. He spoke positively of the development of the cultural relations between the two countries. He said, China and Thailand share geographic, cultural and historical kinship. Friendship between the two has seen a rapid development even since the foundation of diplomatic ties in 1975, so has the cultural communication and cooperation as a result of bilaterally joint efforts and importance attached. The Thai people are close friends of their Chinese counterpart. I for one have visited Thailand for many times and received friends from Thailand. Neither I nor they have felt any estrangements in meeting. Cultural exchanges form an indispensible part of Sino-Thai relationship. The Chinese government attaches great importance to cultural communication and cooperation with Thailand. We hoped Thailand would make more contribution to the development of friendly and cooperative relations between the two.

CICCC’s 1^st Vice-Chairman Tang Tianbiao addresses the welcome party   (Photo by Yuan Fan)

      Long Yuxiang said that over a long period of time acting as a non-governmental agency, the CICCC has devoted itself to the advancement of bilateral relationship and cultural communication. To move forward the communication and deepen bilateral cooperation, the CICCC has carried out a large number of works including the Chinese cultural and artistic delegation to visit Thailand, We Are a Family—cultural communication ceremony in celebration of the anniversaries of the foundation of the Sino-Thai Diplomatic Ties, Spotlight on Ink—Chinese Calligraphy & Painting Arts Exhibition held at the Royal Palace of Thailand as well as Sino-Thai Boxing Championships. We have been in comprehensive cooperation with the Thai Royal family and government. Long Yuxiang extended his warm invitation to Mr. Phinij to attend the upcoming International Kickboxing Championships to be held in Zhuhai, China in January. Long Yuxiang also declared that the CICCC would strive to make new contribution to the development of Sino-Thai friendship, cultural exchanges and cooperation in the future.

Tang Tianbiao and Long Yuxiang present former vice-premier of Thailand Mr.Phinij with souvenirs (Photo by Yuan Fan)

      Phinij said, the Chinese Culture Center in Bangkok is the first and largest Chinese culture center in ever built up in South-East Asia. It indicates the great depth of cultural communication and cooperation between China and Thailand and serves as a milestone in it. The establishment of the Chinese Culture Center built a wonderful bridge between the two peoples and cultures. In view of this, I have recommended the Chinese Culture Center to many universities in Thailand. The Thai government highly values the role played by non-governmental cooperation in the two countries’ friendly development. He wished that the exchanges and cooperation with the CICCC would serve to enhance that of the two countries. The Sino-Thai Cultural and Economic Society would seize this opportunity to work with the CICCC shoulder to shoulder to deepen cooperation in culture and economy.

Tang Tianbiao and Long Yuxiang present Director of the Thairath Foundation Manich Sooksomchitra with gift  (Photo by Yuan Fan)

     Director of the Thairath Foundation Manich Sooksomchitra briefed the meeting on history of the foundation and the mission for their trip. The Thairath Newspaper boasts the biggest circulation in the country. At the beginning of the newspaper, streets in Thailand were full of waifs, who were deprived chances of education by poverty. Mr. Kampol witnessed the day, hence he founded the Thairath Foundation in a bid to improve social welfare and to build schools for poverty-stricken children in rural areas. So far the Foundation has opened 100 plus schools. The delegation was made of 60 members including the leadership of the Thairath Newspaper and that of the board of directors of the Foundation as well as renowned column writers and school heads and teachers from those founded by the Foundation. During their visiting, they have visited the Forbidden City, the Tian’anmen Square and other scenic sites. They also went to primary and middle schools in China to exchanges ideas with them on how to combat poverty in education.

Thairath Foundation Delegation presents CICCC with souvenirs   (Photo by Yuan Fan)

      Before the meeting, Tang Tianbiao and Long Yuxiang presented the delegation with Chinese ink paintings created by artists like Chen Suxia and Liu Lin. Former Chinese ambassador to Thailand Guan Mu, former under-secretary-general of the Chinese Diplomats Association Li Mao, vice chairman of the China Charity Project Committee Chen Bin, director-general of the CICCC Publicity Department Xiao Ping and director of the General Office Zuo Jinling attended the event.