Yunnan sees close connectivity with Malaysia, Thailand

A media delegation headed by Information Office of the People's Government of Yunnan Province conducted an interview tour in Malaysia and Thailand from December 22 to 29, 2018.

During the tour, the Chinese reporters visited museums, downtown areas, cultural institutions, business elites and individuals in Malaysia and Thailand. They witnessed the increasing economic connection and people-to-people exchanges between Yunnan and the two countries. 

Lasting ties in history

To Malaysian natives, Yunnan is the hometown of navigator Zheng He, start of the Trans-Asian Railway and home to some of their ancestors.

A visit to the Malaysian Chinese Museum

In the Chinese Museum in Kuala Lumpur, the background music records Zheng He’s seven navigations that brought prosperity and hope to Malaysia and other maritime countries.

A documentary during the media tour reminded the audience of the merchants from the Chinese provinces of Guangdong and Yunnan, who emigrated to Malaysia from late 18th century to mid-20th century and created a business empire there.

In a history museum for local newspapers, recorded are the names of the Chinese drivers and mechanics corps from Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries, who served along the Yunnan-Myanmar Road during China’s Anti-Japanese War efforts in 1940s.

Economic connection under BRI

“Look, the Chinese engineers are building the would-be tallest building in Malaysia near the Twin Towers, said the citizens in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia was one of the first countries to join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and China has been Malaysia’s top trading partner for nine consecutive years.

A visit to the Confucius Institute at Phranakhon Rajabhat University

On the streets of Bangkok, Alipay and WeChat are recommended by shop assistants at local stores and supermarkets. Currently, around 37,000 Chinese study in Thailand, while over 27,000 Thai students pursue knowledge in Chinese universities.

Yunnan is a key stop on the Belt and Road map and plays a positive role in the China-Indochina Economic Corridor. Construction of the Sino-Thai Railway officially started in December 2017, while the construction of the China-Laos Railway is in full swing.

Malaysian businessman Huang Hanliang said the Pan-Asian Railway network is in pragmatic progress. Huang set up an international school in Yunnan 19 years ago. Now his business has present across Southwest China, and he expects the high-speed rail to connect his country to Yunnan as soon as possible.

A Thai tour guide surnamed Liang said during the peak season it is hard to get a ticket of the AirAsia flights from Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok to Kunming. The seats are fully occupied every day.

Cultural exchanges via institutions 

“We’re responsible for teaching Chinese to business-Chinese majors at Phranakhon Rajabhat University and other weekend Chinese courses," said Liu Ming, co-president of the Confucius Institute at the university. At present, more than 2,000 are learning Chinese in the institute.

Approved by the Confucius Institute Headquarters, the institute is jointly established in June 2017 by Dali University in Yunnan and Phranakhon Rajabhat University in Thailand.

An exchange at China Cultural Center in Bangkok　 

In the calligraphy classroom of China Cultural Center in Bangkok, a four-character Chinese calligraphy work is created by Princess Sirindhorn, and visitors like to pose at calligraphy for photos. Since 2012, the center has seen cultural exchanges day by day. 

In addition to the Confucius Institute and the Chinese cultural center, individuals also get involved to people-to-people exchanges. Xu Zhangli, a graduate at Yunnan University, has volunteered to teach Chinese at the Confucius Institute in SEGi University Malaysia for one year.

In and after her classes, the students often compare Malaysian noodles with Yunnan noodles, and Malaysians showed much interest in Chinese characters and idioms. "This is a meaningful job, and I’ll stick to it," Xu said.

Reporting by Han Chengyuan; photo by Li Chanjuan; trans-editing by Wang Shixue