The China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (CAECW) has run for 12 years. This year the 2019 CAECW successfully opened in Guizhou province, P.R. China, on July 22 with its theme of “To deepen practical cooperation and share development benefits,” heralding a new beginning for education cooperation and a new future for cultural exchange.
The event has been co-hosted annually since 2008 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of P.R. China, the Ministry of Education of P.R. China and the Guizhou Provincial People’s Government to develop education and cultural exchanges and enhance mutual understanding and friendship between China and ASEAN countries.
The main results of the 2019 CAECW are:
First, 10 important documents and statements were issued, including “Guiyang Statement of the University Rector’s Forum of the First China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week” (2008), “Minutes of China-ASEAN University Rector’s Forum of the Second China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week” (2009), “Guiyang Statement of China-ASEAN Education Minister Roundtable Conference” (2010), “China-ASEAN Double 100,000 Students Mobility Plan” (2010), “Guizhou Government Scholarship” (2013), “Joint Announcement on China-ASEAN Educational Cooperation Action Plan to Support ASEAN Education Work Plan (2016-2020)” (2016), “Upgraded version of the Double 100,000 Students Mobility Plan” (2016), “China-ASEAN Maritime Silk Road Scholarship” (2016), “China-ASEAN Educational Cooperation Plan of Action (2017-2020)” (2017) and “China-ASEAN Vocational Education Cooperation Alliance Guiyang Consensus” (2017).
Second, 10 alliances have been established, including China-ASEAN Rail Transit Education and Training Alliance, China-ASEAN Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Alliance, Alibaba Global E-commerce Talent Consortium, China-ASEAN Transport Vocational Education Alliance, China-ASEAN Education and Training Alliance, The “Belt and Road” University-Enterprise Alliance, ASEAN-China Network for Cooperation and Exchanges among Engineering and Technology Universities (ACNET-EngTech), China-ASEAN Tourism Education Alliance, China-ASEAN Vocational Education Cooperation Alliance and China-ASEAN Mathematical Alliance.
Third, eight centers have been established, including China-ASEAN Research Center, China-ASEAN Qingzhen TVET Center, ASEAN Students Service Center, Guizhou, P. R. China, China-Cambodia Preschool Teachers’ Training Center, Swiss Research Center, Chuvash State Normal University-Chinese Language Center of Guizhou Normal University, China-ASEAN Education and Training Center, and Guizhou National Laboratory for International Cooperation in Medicine.
Fourth, the China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week Permanent Host Site was established. The site is in Gui’an New Area in Guizhou Province, covering 60,000 square meters, marking the official permanent settlement of China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week in Guizhou.
In summary, the cooperation week has enhanced understanding and friendship between China and ASEAN countries, carried out pragmatic education cooperation, laid a smooth cooperation foundation, expanded more areas of cooperation and strengthened inter-regional cultural exchanges and development, contributing to the development of China’s national Belt and Road construction.