Yi Fan
Inscribed on a stone archway in Huachiew Chalermprakiet University, a school named by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, are the words “Chalermprakiet Poh Tek.” They were proposed by the founder of the university—renowned Chinese Thai philanthropist Udan Tejapaibul, known in China as Dr. Zheng Wulou. They are a motto for the students, and a reminder for all of us of the time-honored bonds between China and Thailand.
Friendship taught by the people and for the people
According to the book Emperor of the Ming Dynasty Record, during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), Thai envoys paid 110 visits to China. To facilitate such close exchanges, an imperial translation house was established, where the envoys were appointed lecturers who taught Thai language and culture and trained translators. Thus began cooperation on education that lasts to this day.
Centuries later, Chaphiporn Kiatkachatharn, among others, pressed ahead with the mission. Nicknamed Mr. Chengdu, Kiatkachatharn first came to China as a tour guide 17 years ago and is now Director of the China-Thailand Educational and Cultural Exchange Center of Chengdu University. Among his many records, he was the first to translate the Golden Sun Bird, an ancient relic unearthed in Chengdu, into Nok-Su-Ri-Ya, a widely accepted Thai expression; he opened a window to Chinese history for Thai visitors fascinated by the Three Kingdoms and the Silk Road; and he helped facilitate city sister relations between Chengdu and Chiang Mai. In 2018, Kiatkachatharn received the Chinese Government Friendship Award for his contributions.
There is a Chinese proverb stressing the importance of education: It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred years to cultivate people. In this regard, Chinese and Thai people have worked together for hundreds of years and are set to continue for hundreds more.
Closely connected by common cultural heritage
Traditional Chinese culture stresses the balance between yin and yang, a pair of opposites, in order to maintain harmony. This resonates well with the Thai culture, where for instance, people often have the cooling and refreshing mangosteen together with the rich and heaty durian as an ideal combination.
Today, Chinese and Thai people share joy and happiness through many cultural experiences. The Thai film The Chinese Family was a hit in both countries. Happy Chinese New Year concert by Chinese and Thai musicians struck a chord among the diverse members of the audience. The New Year’s Eve Prayer Ceremony in Bangkok with Buddha relic from Beijing’s Lingguang Temple brought blessings for good fortune that transcend national borders.
As more Chinese and Thai youngsters come to appreciate the beauty of and the connection between the two cultures, these modern-day friendship envoys will surely find new ways to carry forward their common legacies.
Standing together for shared economic opportunities
Narumit Hinshiranan is one of many who experienced first hand China’s economic success story. He first worked in China in the late 1980s when the country was in the early days of reform and opening up. When he returned to serve as Consul General of the Thai Consulate General in Chengdu in the late 2000s, he was impressed by the rapid, “earth-shaking” progress that had taken place throughout the country, including but not limited to the spectacular 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
In fact, Thailand was a pioneer in terms of casting a vote of confidence for China’s growth. When China rolled out the reform and opening up policy in 1978, Charoen Pokphand Group—more widely known in China as Zhengda—immediately saw opportunity. It became the very first overseas investor in the Chinese mainland and the first foreign company registered in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone since 1978. Today, the Group is one of the leading agri-food players in China. It is more than a participant in and beneficiary of China’s development. It is a witness of and contributor to trust and friendship between China and Thailand.
A Chinese saying goes, one does not forget those who dug the well when drinking water from it. The Chinese are a grateful people most ready to reciprocate the kindness received. In recent years, Chinese investment flocking into Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor has created local jobs, brought in high-end technologies, and provided strong impetus for Thailand’s industrial upgrading. On the path toward prosperity, the two countries continue to support each other.
Recently, Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra paid a successful visit to China, receiving warm hospitality from the Chinese people. The event marked the first top-level visit between the two countries after Thailand became a BRICS Partner at the beginning of this year. During the visit, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to promoting cooperation on economic and other fronts, expanding people-to-people exchanges as a cornerstone of bilateral ties, and advancing shared growth across the region, and also expressed their full confidence in furthering the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
In the Golden Jubilee year of 2025, China and Thailand have ample opportunities to renew their historical bonds and write new chapters in building a community with a shared future for enhanced stability, prosperity and sustainability. In doing so, they can contribute to a better Asia and a better world.
(Yi Fan is a Beijing-based political commentator.)