China, ASEAN countries see fruitful cooperation in people-to-people exchanges

The Detian-Ban Gioc Waterfall, the biggest cross-border waterfall in Asia, is the first cross-border tourism cooperation zone between China and Vietnam.

Since last October, the waterfall – with the Chinese part in Chongzuo, a border city in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and the Vietnamese part in Cao Bing – has been open to tourists from the two countries under customs clearance services within the cooperation zone. 

A series of management arrangements such as group booking, time-limited cross-border travel, group entry-and-exit, and set tour routes have been implemented. 

The official launch of the cross-border tourism cooperation zone is expected to yield valuable insights for high-level opening up and collaboration between the two countries, said Hu Fan, vice chairman of Guangxi, in an interview with Xinhua before the establishment of the zone.

The zone is one of the many examples of China's ever-growing friendship and cooperation with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries. Through closer people-to-people connections in various fields, mutual understanding and trust are expected to inject a strong impetus into building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

People-to-people contacts between China and ASEAN countries date back more than 1,000 years to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) when Chinese merchants traveled to Southeast Asia for trade.

Since China and ASEAN officially established dialogue relations in July 1991, people-to-people exchanges have served as the backbone of their ties. These interactions have advanced their comprehensive strategic partnership by enhancing mutual understanding and trust, promoting socio-economic development, and maintaining regional peace, security and stability.

From infrastructure projects to trade partnerships, China-proposed initiatives have played a crucial role in ASEAN's socio-economic development, improving people's livelihoods and fostering economic growth across the region.

Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects, such as the Sihanoukville Special Economy Zone, the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway and the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport in Cambodia, the China-Laos Railway and the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia, have significantly boosted interconnectivity, economic activities and trade in the region.

Since 2024, China and ASEAN have organized various activities in cultural, tourism, education, media and youth-focused fields. These activities have played a crucial role in strengthening China-ASEAN relations by tapping into the most dynamic and innovative domains of people-to-people exchanges.

People-to-people exchanges between to two sides have deepened historical and cultural connections and strengthened friendship and mutual understanding, playing a vital role in the long-term success of regional cooperation.

As the Global Mayors Dialogue 2024 is set to be held in Guangxi soon, mayors from various ASEAN countries are expected to discuss further ties with mayors in China. The leaders are expected to work together to accelerate and expand the potential of ASEAN smart city connectivity and integration, by jointly promoting digitalization and digital transformation.

(With input from Xinhua)