On 14 December 2017, H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), visited Guilin Tourism University (GTU) and its affiliations, namely, tourism data centre, China-ASEAN Tourism Research Base of China Tourism Academy, Secretariat of China-ASEAN Tourism Education Alliance, International School of Hotel Management, China-New Zealand International School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and met with Ms. Lin Na, Party Secretary of GTU, Mr. Lin Yejiang, Vice Party Secretary of GTU, through which Secretary-General Yang Xiuping learnt on GTU’s operation and its cooperation with ASEAN countries. Ms. Li Chunhong, Director of International Exchange Division of GTU, Ms. Zhang Hailin, Deputy Director of China-ASEAN Tourism Research Base, and Mr. Zhang Xuehai, Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations Division of ACC, attended the event.

Party Secretary Lin Na briefed on the development and international exchanges and cooperation of GTU. She stated that GTU is one of four key universities supported by China National Tourism Administration. The university also has China-ASEAN Tourism Personnel Education & Training Base, and the site of Secretariat of China-ASEAN Tourism Education Alliance. Upholding the concept of opening up education and going-ASEAN, GTU enjoys the continuous increase of education quality and international influences. In recent years, GTU respectively has held over 20 sessions of training courses for ASEAN tourism personnel, tourism personnel of sub-region of greater Mekong and for several times dispatched lecturers to provide tourism capacity building courses held by ACC. In 2017, GTU received 135 foreign students, among whom, 54 are from ASEASN countries.

With great support of ACC, GTU initiated China-ASEAN Tourism Education Alliance covering 18 tourism education institutions and enterprises of ASEAN countries and China, and launched the ceremony of the alliance in conjunction with the first China-ASEAN Tourism Education Cooperation Forum. Through this alliance, GTU signed a framework agreement with Trisakti School of Tourism of Indonesia and inaugurated the Sino-Indonesia Tourism Business School and Sino-Indonesia Tourism Academy recently. Upon the platform provided by ACC, GTU wished to continue to actively expand people-to-people exchanges with ASEAN countries and jointly promote ASEAN-China tourism personnel training and high-level tourism education cooperation, so as to make greater contributions to ASEAN-China tourism and education.

Secretary-General Yang Xiuping commended GTU for its achievements in education and contributions to ASEAN-China education and tourism cooperation. She briefed on ACC’s efforts encompassing the 50th anniversary of ASEAN and the ASEAN-China Year of Tourism Cooperation. She stated that tourism and education are important parts of people-to-people exchanges, and play a fundamental role in deepening ASEAN-China strategic partnership. Next year will be the 15th anniversary of ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership and the ASEAN-China Year of Innovation. She hoped GTU could seize the opportunity and make full use of its strength through making China-ASEAN Tourism Education Alliance more substantive and stronger, and building long term mechanism of people-to-people exchanges so as to make its contribution to all-around and in-depth development of ASEAN-China relations.

During the visit, Secretary-General Yang Xiuping also interacted with students from Indonesia and Republic of Korea to learn about their studies and living in the university. She encouraged students to cherish the valuable study opportunity and closely follow the development of ASEAN-China relations, and become the envoy of ASEAN-China friendship, and contribute their wisdom and strength to bilateral relations and the regional cooperation.