Authors: Ye Qiru & Peng Shang

On November 10, the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) of Wuhan University invited Tin Maung Swe, Ambassador of Myanmar to China, to hold a “Lecture Series on ASEAN-China Relations” at the university with the aim of promoting the development of China-ASEAN relations and exchanges between ASEAN Member States (AMS) and universities in Hubei Province. Shi Zhongjun, secretary general of ACC, accompanied the ambassador during the event. With Tang Qizhu, vice president of WHU, and Chu Cuihua, second grade inspector of the Foreign Affairs Office of Hubei Provincial People’s Government, present, this event was hosted by the deputy dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration, Ruan Jianping.

Professor Tang warmly welcomed Ambassador Tin Maung Swe, his wife and Secretary General Shi Zhongjun. He briefly introduced WHU and its cooperation with universities and institutions of AMS. He said that as friendly neighbors, China and Myanmar have deepened cooperation in various spheres in recent years. This visit is not only a demonstration of the friendly relations between China and ASEAN but also an opportunity to strengthen humanistic communication and coordination further.

Vice President Tang Qizhu delivers a speech

Secretary General Shi Zhongjun said that China and ASEAN members have been good neighbors, friends, and partners connected by shared geographical features. In recent years, China-ASEAN relations have developed with fruitful China-Myanmar cooperation and rapid growth in Hubei Province and ASEAN exchanges, with WHU having played an active role in such cultural exchanges. He also mentioned that young people are the mainstay of China-ASEAN friendship, and expressed his hopes that through this activity, students will better understand China-Myanmar and China-ASEAN relations and engage in more friendly exchanges, adding fresh impetus into the cooperation.

Secretary General Shi Zhongjun delivers a speech

Ambassador Tin Maung Swe described the historical changes undergone by Myanmar in the humanities, politics, and other aspects and used fun quizzes to talk about the growth of China-Myanmar and China-ASEAN relations. He said that WHU was the first choice for the “Lecture Series on ASEAN-China Relations” and that Myanmar is committed to building a China-Myanmar community of common destiny. In the end, he showed a short tourism video and welcomed the students to visit.

Ambassador Tin Maung Swe engaged in quizzes

In the interactive session, the ambassador exchanged views with students on ways to combat telecom fraud, economic collaboration, and the China-Myanmar community of  shared destiny.

Students and the Ambassador exchange views

During the ambassador’s visit, Professor Tang met with the delegation and discussed the advancement of exchanges between WHU and institutions in the AMS.

Group photo of Tang and the delegation

Group photo of the officials at the lecture

As the ACC’s flagship program, the “Lecture Series on ASEAN-China Relations” aims to promote people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding between ASEAN and China. The 20th lecture was hosted by the School of Political Science and Public Administration and the Office of International Affairs. More than 100 faculty members and students from the two countries attended the lecture.

Rewritten by Wang Bingqian

Edited by Li Jing, Zhou Yue, Cao Hangqian

Source: https://oir.whu.edu.cn/info/1009/9276.htm