On the evening of 24 March 2025, the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), in collaboration with the Royal Thai Embassy in China, hosted the “ASEAN (Thailand) Movie Night” event at the ACC in Beijing. Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ACC, Ambassador Chatchai Viriyavejakul of Thailand, Ambassador Jaime A. FlorCruz of the Philippines and Ambassador Maubere Lorosae da Silva Horta of Timor-Leste attended the event, along with about 70 attendees including diplomats from the Embassies of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and university students from ASEAN Member States (AMS) and China.

In the opening remarks Shi Zhongjun said that against the backdrop of 2025 ASEAN-China Year of People-to-people Exchanges and the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand, the ASEAN Movie Night will continue to leverage its strengths in fostering cultural exchanges and enhancing friendship of the younger generations, so as to deepen their mutual understanding and to build lasting friendships. He also fondly recalled the visit of the Thai Prime Minister to China in February and the recent joint efforts between Thailand and China to combat the telecommunication frauds and expressed that the strong and enduring partnership between Thailand and China will continue to flourish and remain a cornerstone of ASEAN-China relations.

Ambassador Chatchai Viriyavejakul expressed his gratitude for the ACC’s initiative to host the movie night. He highlighted the significance of this event as part of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Thailand-China Diplomatic Relations. The Royal Thai Embassy will continue to collaborate closely with the ACC in organizing future cultural events to foster the mutual understanding and trust among younger generations, to consolidate the public foundation of Thailand-China friendship, and to elevate ASEAN-China relations to new heights.  

The ACC screened the Thai box-buster hit of 2024 “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies”. The movie portrays the evolving relationship between grandmother and her grandson and explores the relationship between family, love and cultural values. After the screening, the students shared their thoughts about the touching story that offered them deeper insights into the essence of the local society and culture in Thailand, which has deep connection with the Chinese culture. Ambassadors and diplomats also had amiable exchanges with the students about the movie at the reception as they together enjoyed the Thai cuisine, supported by the Thai Embassy, including the special dish of Tom Yum Kung.