On 25 September 2021, the Seminar of Vocational Education Helping Rural Revitalization between Guizhou and Mekong Countries was held during the 2021 China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (CAECW), aiming to promote exchanges and collaboration between Mekong countries and Guizhou Province and explore ways to help rural revitalization and high-quality development through vocational education. Mr. Zhang Hanlin, Director General of the Foreign Affairs Office of Guizhou Province, Mdm. Khamphao Ernthavanh, the Lao Ambassador to China, Mr. Wang Fukang, former Chinese Ambassador to Maldives, Mr. Chen Dehai, Secretary-General of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), Mr. Liu Baoli, Vice President of the Chinese Society for Technical and Vocational Education, Mr. Iem Puthviro, Consul General of the Consulate General of Cambodia in Kunming, and Mr. Mongkol Visitstump, Consul General of the Consulate General of Thailand in Kunming attended and addressed the seminar.

Mr. Chen Dehai stated that ASEAN is China’s close and friendly neighbour while the Mekong countries are important member states of ASEAN, with inherent advantages for cooperation. ASEAN and China have achieved leapfrog development and have become the mutually largest trading partners, the most meaningful cooperative partners and the most dynamic strategic partners. Education is one of the most effective ways to promote development and improve people’s livelihood while vocational education is a significant foundation for cultivating technical and skilled talents, promoting employment and entrepreneurship, encouraging innovation, and stimulating economic and social development. Guizhou Province vigorously implements the “Action Plan for Revitalizing Guizhou and Enriching the People through Vocational Education”, focusing on the key points of poverty alleviation, paying great attention to the orientation of disadvantaged groups, and making unremitting efforts to achieve a win-win symbiosis between vocational education and social development. It is hoped that through the Seminar, all participants will share experience, exchange ideas, and cooperate with each other with the theme of “Vocational Education Helps Rural Revitalization”, so as to promote the collaboration between Guizhou Province and Mekong countries in the field of vocational education and social development to a new level.

At the Seminar, ACC signed an MoC with the Foreign Affairs Office of Guizhou Province.