Full speech of YDPG’s Deputy Editor in Chief Tian Jing

Honorable  Mr.  Wu  Zhiwu,  Minister-Counselor  of  Chinese  Embassy  in  the  Kingdom  of  Thailand

Honorable  Mr.  PanaJanviroj,  President of The  Nation,

 

Ladies  and  gentlemen,  dear  friends,

 

China: Yunnan,  which  is  jointly  published  by  Yunnan  Daily  Press  Group(YDPG)  and The  Nation,  is  officially  launched  today.  On  behalf  of  the  Group,  I  would  like  to  congratulate  on  this  and  convey  my  sincere  thanks  to  Mr.  Minister,  all  distinguished  guests  here,  as  well  as  our  peers.

Yunnan  and  Thailand  are  friendly  neighbors,  and  we  are  connected  by  the  Lancang-Mekong  river  and  the  Kunming-Bangkok  highway.  Over  the  years,  the  two  sides  have  been  closely  cooperated  in  trade,  investment,  interconnectivity,  culture,  and  education.  Such  cooperations  are  on  the  rise  and  have  yielded  fruitful  results.  According  to  incomplete  statistics,  30  plus  Thai  companies,  including  the  Charoen  Pokphand  Group and  the  TCC  Group, have  invested  in  more  than  100  projects  in  China,  and  their  business  covers  hotel  management,  hydropower  engineering,  food  processing,  and  home  furnishing.

Yunnan  has  opened  many international air  lines  to  Thailand,  and  now  there  are  direct  flights  from  Kunming  to  Bangkok,  Chiang  Mai,  Phuket  Island,  Chiang  Rai, and Krabi.  Also,  Yunnan  and  Thailand  have  jointly  built  up  and  participated  in  such  regional  economic  cooperative  mechanisms as  the  GMS  and  Yunnan-North  Thailand  Work Team  Cooperative  Mechanism.  The  annual China-South  Asia  Expo has  become  a  key  platform  for  communication.      

Since  2008,  the yearly “Thailand  Festival  in Kunming”,  hosted  by  Thai  Consulate-General  in  Kunming,  has  become  one  of  the  most  popular  events  of  cultural  tourism  in  Yunnan.  Educational  exchanges  between  the  two  sides  have  also  yielded  fruitful  results.  In  Yunnan,  most  scientific  institutions  have  cooperated  frequently  with  their  counterparts  in  Thailand.  Nearly  40  colleges  and  universities  in  Yunnan  have  established  the  Thai-Language  program,  with  4,000  students  learning  Thai.    

   At  the  current  context  of  upgrading  the  “China-ASEAN  Free  Trade  Area”  and  implementing  the  “Belt  and  Road  Initiative”,  the  above-mentioned  exchanges  and  cooperation  between  Yunnan  and  Thailand will  surely  have  a  broader  prospect.  The  coming  China-Thailand  High  Speed  Rail  will  shorten  the  distance  between  Yunnan  and  Thailand,  providing  more  convenience  for  people.  Therefore,  we  believe  the  two  sides  will  deepen  trade  and  economic  cooperation,  while  cementing  traditional  friendship  and  adding  more  amity  to  our  relation.

Ladies  and  gentlemen,  dear  friends！

The  media  serves  as  a  channel  for  information  flow,  and  it  can  be  likened  as  a  bond  for  heart-to-heart  communication,  or  a  messenger  for  friendly  exchanges.  As  the  mainstream  media  in  Yunnan,  the  YDPG  has  actively  cooperated  with  media  in  South  and  Southeast  Asian  countries.  Since  1995,  the  YDPG  has  published  ten  overseas  news  specials  through  cooperation  with  media  in  Bangladesh,  Cambodia, Indonesia,  Malaysia  and  Myanmar,  as  well  as  the  U.S. 

China: Yunnan,  which  is  jointly published  by  Yunnan  Daily  Press  Group(YDPG)  and The  Nation,  will  be  a  showcase  of  China  and  Yunnan  in  Thailand.  However,  this  just  marks  the  first  step  of  our  cooperation.  We  will  go  on  blazing  more  channels  for  international  cooperation,  and  provide  better  information  service  for  readers  in  the  two  countries.  I  am  convinced  that,  on  the  basis  of  joint  efforts,  cooperation  between  the  YDGP  and The  Nation will  bring  direct  and  valuable  information  to  the  public  in  Yunnan  and  Thailand.  In  doing  so,  we can open a new  historic  chapter  of  China-Thailand  friendship  and  common  development,  which  will  be  recorded in journalism. 

Thank  you!