On 5 March 2018, the opening ceremony of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC)-Yalong Donation to Cambodia Training programme was held in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province. Attended the event were almost 80 participants including Mr. Chen Jiquan, President of Zhejiang Yalong Educational Equipment Joint Stock Co. Ltd. (Yalong Company), Mr. Khem Pisoth, Deputy Director of Institute Management Department of the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MOLVT) of Cambodia, Mr. Xie Zhiyuan, President of Wenzhou Vocational and Technical College, Mr. Xue Zhao, Director of Vocational Education Division of Wenzhou Municipal Education Bureau, Mr. Zhang Jianxiao from Professional Construction Office of Wenzhou Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, Mr. Dai Haidong, President of Zhejiang College of Security Technology, Mr. Chen Chuanzhou, General Manager of Yalong Company as well as officials and teachers from MOLVT and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MOEYS) of Cambodia. Ms. Zhang Jing, Education Officer of ACC attended the event and delivered a speech.

President Chen Jiquan welcomed Cambodian officials and teachers coming from afar and wished the teachers could master advanced technical skills through training in Yalong Company so as to promote the vocational education development of Cambodia, and strengthen China-Cambodia friendship. He stated that Yalong Company is dedicated to creating a leading brand for intelligent education equipments of the world. Over the years, Yalong has provided universities, vocational colleges, technical schools, enterprise training centres, science and technology museums, and preschool education with intelligent education equipments, online and offline training and course consulting service. During its development, Yalong Company attaches importance to internationalization. Yalong Company has participated in ASEAN Skills Competition since 2008, its products have entered African markets since 2017, and the equipments was selected and utilized in the BRICS Skills Innovation Competition, all of which well serves the building of the Belt and Road. Teachers from ASEAN Member States, South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya have been sent to Yalong Company for training. Mr. Chen expected that with the support and coordination of ACC, Yalong Company could enhance collaboration with the government, universities and vocational colleges of Cambodia, and strengthen bilateral cooperation in teacher and student exchanges, joint school running and intelligence contests.

On behalf of ACC, Ms. Zhang Jing expressed appreciation to MOLVT, MOEYS of Cambodia and Yalong Company for their vigorous supports to ACC. She said that promoting cooperation between ASEAN-China TVET institutions is one of ACC’s flagship projects. Yalong Company is one of the important partners of ACC, which has conducted donation programmes to Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar and Cambodia during the past years with the coordination of ACC. China and Cambodia enjoy time-honored traditional friendship and close education cooperation. In November 2017, through the vigorous coordination of ACC and the joint efforts of the parties concerned, Yalong Company signed the Donation Agreements with MOLVT and MOEYS of Cambodia for the donation of vocational education equipments and training programme worth RMB 1 million. 2018 marks the 15th anniversary of ASEAN-China strategic partnership, as well as the ASEAN-China Year of Innovation. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Cambodia, the donation project jointly implemented by ACC and Yalong Company will undoubtedly contribute to the promotion of educational cooperation and development of the two countries, and Cambodia-China relations as well.

Mr. Khem Pisoth highly appreciated the efforts made by ACC to promote the exchange of vocational education between Cambodia and China, and the kind invitation for the delegation to visit China. He also expressed gratitude to Yalong Company and Wenzhou Vocational and Technical College for their help in organizing the training programme. He stated that the ACC-Yalong joint project of equipment donation to Cambodia well meets the needs of the development of vocational education in Cambodia, and it would also play a positive role in promoting the development of human resources and contributing to the realization of the overall development goal of the country.

President Xie Zhiyuan mentioned that the Wenzhou Vocational and Technical College set up Yalong International Institute of Intelligent Technology in 2016 in cooperation with Yalong Company, which had received good effects from the society by being dedicated to ASEAN-Whenzhou industry and education integration and. The opening of the training courses for vocational education teachers of Cambodia marks a new height of the cooperation between China and Cambodia in vocational education against the backdrop of close ASEAN-China education cooperation, which will vigorously further the exchanges in vocational education and its management between the two countries.

According to the donation agreements between Yalong Company and Cambodia, Cambodia sent 14 teachers to attend the one-month training course. In addition, ACC also invited five officials from Cambodian MOLVT to Wenzhou for a one-week visit. During the visit, Cambodian officials also visited Yalong Company, Wenzhou Vocational and Technical College and other institutions to conduct in-depth exchanges on future cooperation. The Cambodian officials introduced the status of vocational education in Cambodia and shared views on exploring new ways of vocational educational cooperation between Cambodia and China, which was warmly welcomed by the local government and educational institutions.