Opening: A fraternal bond between China and Thailand, lasting a thousand autumns; we pluck blossoms to gift one another, making our homelands still more beautiful. Guided by the spirit of the 20th CPC Central Committee’s 4th Plenary Session and the Belt and Road Initiative, Dezhou Universitystageda series of celebratory events to mark the 50th anniversary of China-Thailand diplomatic relations, deepening bilateral exchanges and encouraging young Chinese and Thais to build mutual understanding through cultural resonance and sincere dialogue, to carry forward the torch of friendship and become both heirs and innovators of China-Thailand cooperation.
3 November 2025—Colourful flags flew and laughter echoed across Dezhou University as guests gathered for an event bearing half a century of friendship. Present were: Ms. Natsupang Poshyananda, Deputy Consul-General of the Kingdom of Thailand in Qingdao. Ms.Daonoi Suttiniphapunt, Former Thai Senator; Vice Chairman and Secretary-General, King Prajadhipok’s Institute Student Foundation. Mr. Yuan Ruidong, Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand. Mr. Sun Yebiao, Deputy Director (First-LevelInspector), Foreign Affairs Office of Shandong Province. Wang Shaobing, Deputy Director(Second-Level Research Officer) of Asia Division, Foreign Affairs Office of Shandong Province. Mr. Chen Haiming, Vice-Mayor of DezhouCity. Prof. Zhao Changlin, President of Dezhou University. Together with a 53-member youth delegation from Thailand’s King Prajadhipok’s Institute Student Foundation, they opened the “China and Thailand, Hand in Hand for Fifty Years—Education with One Heart Toward the Future” cultural and educational feast.
Renewing friendship, opening new chapters
During the 2025 Yellow River–Mekong Exchange Week & ASEAN SMEs-Shandong Cooperation Forum, provincial and municipal leaders held a courtesy meeting with ASEAN guests. University Party Secretary Wu Jun joined the meeting and, at the opening ceremony, unveiled the “Thailand Corner of Thai Language and Cultural Exchange Centre” together with Deputy Consul-General Natsupang Poshyananda. As the red silk fell, applause rolled through the hall, signalling a new phase in China-Thailand educational and cultural cooperation.
Fifty Years of Friendship in Pictures: A China-Thailand Album Blooming with Youth
Silk Road Affection, Thai Elegance, Chinese Dream—Fifty Springs and Autumns Shared in This Moment. The university's youth cultural performance and China-Thailand youth dialogue celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand attracted wide participation from faculty and students.
In his address, Sun Yebiao noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of China-Thailand diplomatic relations—the “Golden 50 Years of Friendship.” He pledged full support for university-level exchanges and the active expansion of cooperation. He expressed the hope that young people from Shandong and Thailand will shoulder their generational responsibilities, serve as role models, and inspire even broader two-way exchanges. Zhao Changlin emphasized in his speech that the friendship between China and Thailand has spanned over a millennium, and the spirit of “China and Thailand are one family” remains as vibrant as ever. Leveraging platforms such as the university’s “Thailand Corner of Thai Language and Cultural Exchange Center”and“ASEAN Research Center”, he vowed to deepen practical collaboration with Thai universities in areas such as mutual credit recognition, faculty and student exchanges, joint degree programs, scientific and technological cooperation, and cultural exchanges. He called on youth from both nations to enhance mutual understanding, build consensus, and become both inheritors of China-Thailand friendship and drivers of innovative cooperation.
Natsupang Poshyananda spoke highly of the achievements in China-Thailand cooperation across various fields. She hoped that through this event, students would fully and joyfully experience the Thailand Corner at Dezhou University, using the space to promote people-to-people exchanges and deepen the bond of “China and Thailand as one family.” Chen Haiming pointed out that youth exchange activities are designed to carry forward tradition, ensuring that the baton of China-Thailand friendship is passed steadily from one generation to the next. He expressed hope that this event would further advance multi-level and multi-field interactions between Dezhou and various regions of Thailand, forging closer ties and jointly infusing the evergreen China-Thailand friendship with youthful wisdom and vitality.
At the Thai Language and Cultural Exchange Center, the head of the School of Foreign Languages gave a detailed introduction to the center’s founding background, mission, functional positioning, and future development plans. The center is not only an important platform for China-Thailand cultural exchanges, but also a bridge connecting the hearts and emotions of the two peoples. It will promote all-round cooperation between China and Thailand in language education, cultural communication, and academic research.
Afterwards, everyone strolled along the China-Thailand Friendship Photo Exhibition. The collection captures the most memorable moments of the past half-century: the historic handshake at the establishment of diplomatic ties, and today’s wide-ranging cooperation in education, culture, trade and more. Each image serves as a window through time, vividly illustrating the deep bond the two peoples have forged while crossing mountains and seas and advancing hand-in-hand for fifty years. Natsupang Poshyananda chatted warmly with those around her as she viewed the photos, sharing her reflections.
The exhibition not only builds a bridge of communication between the two nations, but also deepens mutual understanding and trust, laying a solid foundation for lasting China-Thailand friendship.
China-Thailand Youth Dialogue on Growing Together, Silk-Road Voices of Friendship Forever
The artistic performances were dazzling and colorful.The song“Blame It on the Beauty of Our Meeting”givedthe half-century bond;the“Rhythmic Dance of Long Drums from the Land of Mor-Khaen” pulsed with Thailand’s northeastern spirit; martial arts “Fists across the Seas, Friendship for All Ages” and the“Artistry of Lanna,Paying Homage to the Culamani Cetiya” dance mirrored one another in shared rhythm. Bilingually, Chinese and Thai teachers and students recited “Plucking Peach Blossoms,”a poem by Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhon that calls the two peoples brothers and sisters. A lightning Thai-trivia quiz set the hall laughing and cheering.“I came to China to learn, and every day I feel the beauty of her culture,” said Sahachai Bandan, a Thai student, still glowing from the show. “Tonight every performance was unique; I’ll carry China—and Dezhou—in my heart long after I go home.”
Later, in a youth dialogue on heritage and innovation for the golden jubilee, students and alumni from both campuses traded stories of crossing cultures and brainstormed fresh ways to widen the corridor of education and exchange. Wang Yunhan, Class of ’25 from the School of Literature, History and Culture, summed up the feeling:“It is a great honor to take part in this profound and meaningful event. Together with my classmates, I will keep serving as a bridge of China-Thailand friendship, so that the bond between our young people shines even brighter as we walk forward side by side.”
Immersive ICH Craftsmanship, Appreciatingthe Charm ofChinese Culture
In the ICH experience zone of the School of Fine Arts, Thai students crowded around the master artisans. Holding their breath, they watched the hollow-cut magic of paper-shears and the clay-coil grace of black-pottery; eyes wide with wonder. Unable to resist, some tried their own hands under one-to-one guidance. Between finger and material they felt the singular charm of Chinese culture, and a quiet reverence for Eastern wisdom—and for the endless possibilities of cultural mingling—rose in their hearts.
Next the delegation stepped into the National Textile & Fabric Museum. Shelves of fabrics and garments dazzled the eye, while displays of cutting-edge spinning technology drew gasps of admiration. When the dean of the School of Textiles & Fashion presented Ms. Daonoi Suttiniphapuntwith a gift especially designed for the occasion—the "Lu Brocade Auspicious Elephant" symbolizing China-Thailand friendship—she received it with both hands and a radiant smile. "Thank you, Dezhou University, for such thoughtfulness. I will treasure this forever. It carries not only the deep affection between our two universities, but also the precious memory and lasting witness of our two cultures coming together."
Through multiple formats, Dezhou University's series celebrating the 50th anniversary of China-Thailand diplomatic relations has built a solid platform for exchange. In the collision of ideas and the blending of cultures, young Chinese and Thai have deepened friendship and forged common understanding, erecting a bridge of heart-to-heart connection powered by youth. Looking ahead, the two countries will take this golden jubilee as a new starting point to expand practical cooperation in education, culture and beyond, jointly writing a fresh chapter in the building of a China-Thailand community with a shared future.
