On 14 March 2018, H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), visited China Cultural Centre Bangkok and exchanged views with Mr. Zhang Bo, Deputy Director of the Centre. Mr. Yang Xin, Minister Counselor of Chinese Embassy in Thailand and Mr. Zhang Xuehai, Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations Division of ACC, were present.

Deputy Director Zhang Bo welcomed Secretary-General Yang Xiuping to the Centre and briefed on the construction and operation of the Centre. He said that China Cultural Centre Bangkok is the first China cultural centre in ASEAN countries, which covers 8,222 square meters with a floor area of 7,900 square meters. It is a multi-functional centre containing exhibition hall, theatre, classroom, library and catering room. It is the largest China cultural centre overseas that facilitates local people to learn Chinese culture. The Centre is committed to providing high quality, popularized, friendly and cooperative services to vigorously promote Chinese culture and interact with Thai people by means of cultural activities, teaching and training, thought exchanges and information services. Since its inception five years ago, the Centre has carried out more than 600 cultural activities, which fully displayed the charm of Chinese culture and were widely welcomed and appreciated by the people of Thailand. The Centre would continue to reach out to more Thai people to promote Chinese culture and make greater efforts to push forward the friendly ties between China and Thailand. The Centre would also like to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning with ACC.

Secretary-General Yang Xiuping commended the great efforts and fruitful outcomes made by China Cultural Centre Bangkok to promote the cultural exchanges between Thailand and China. She gave an overview of ACC’s mandate and recent work. She said that people-to-people exchanges are an important pillar of ASEAN-China relations, and a priority of ACC’s work. Both ASEAN and China carried out a variety of colourful activities to celebrate the ASEAN-China Year of Cultural Exchange in 2014, which injected strong impetus to the understanding and friendship between both sides. In recent years, ACC held a series of cultural activities such as film festival, gourmet festival, and Belt and Road cultural tour to enhance the friendship between the people of both sides. ACC would like to enhance communications with the Centre, jointly explore new ways to carry out people-to-people exchanges activities and make new and greater contribution to Thailand-China and ASEAN-China people-to-people connectivity.