Chinese colleges reach out to ASEAN countries

[TaiShang]

Chinese colleges reach out to ASEAN countries

Malaysian student Bong Meen Szer was thrilled to find out that her alma mater, Xiamen University in Fujian province, is going to establish a campus in her motherland.

"It is good news for Malaysian students that another prestigious overseas university is coming to our country, providing more choices," she said, adding that it will be a great opportunity for local students to experience a global education.

Like Xiamen University, Chinese universities are gradually taking the first steps across the border to showcase Chinese ideas and culture. They first eye stops at the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Chinese and ASEAN top education officials are encouraging more Chinese universities to reach out, conducting international cooperation programs and opening overseas campuses in ASEAN countries, aiming to enhance higher education cooperation.

During the seventh China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week, held in Guizhou province in the first week of September, education officials from China and ASEAN countries exchanged ideas on enhancing higher education cooperation.

The overseas campuses of Chinese universities include Suzhou University in Laos, Singapore University of Technology and Design, and Xiamen University in Malaysia, Hao Ping, deputy education minister of China, said at the opening ceremony on Monday.

Hao said such exploration will improve higher education development in China and Southeast Asian countries, allow sharing of resources and benefit education as a whole in the Sino-ASEAN region.

By the end of last year, the number of Chinese students studying in ASEAN countries exceeded 110,000. A total of 70,000 students from ASEAN countries are studying in China.

Nasir bin Mat Dam, the deputy secretary-general of development of higher education of Malaysia's Education Ministry, said that the forum provides an opportunity for ASEAN countries and China to discuss challenges facing cross-border education.

With more global communication in the higher education field, the demands in terms of global education - including transferring credits and clarifying the degree and diploma system - are increasing, he said.

 

[Lux de Veritas]

Xiamen University - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Xiamen University was open by Singaporean Tan Kah Kee 陈嘉庚. He basically gave everything to China leaving very little for his descendant. Tan was among the most wealthy SE Asian then.

Tan was the only person who was able to keep ranting and grumbling about communist without being persecuted by Mao.

At the end of his life, he get disappointed with Mao's communism.

 

[Edison Chen]

Graduates from Xiamen University hold more than half of middle and higher level positions of financial institutions in Shenzhen.

 

[somsak]

This is exactly what we need!. I hope famous engineering schools like Xinhua University, Sun Yat Sen University, Chinese Academy of Science, University of Science and Technology from China to open campuses in Thailand.

 

[TaiShang]

This is exactly what we need!. I hope famous engineering schools like Xinhua University, Sun Yat Sen University, Chinese Academy of Science, University of Science and Technology from China to open campuses in Thailand.

Indeed.


People to people interaction in the form of education and cultural activity (including tourism and schooling) is an important component to ensure further China-ASEAN integration.

China can initiate more favorable programs to friendly and neutral nations in the region. That's an immense potential for regional countries to grow and prosper together. Inside ASEAN, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia are the three most important nations and China should definitely invest more in these countries.

China will definitely need to tap the talent pool in ASEAN and ASEAN will need further Chinese investment and technology transfer. Looking forward to achieving 1trillion USD trade volume between ASEAN and China.

China, ASEAN trade, economic trade cooperation to make new start

Xinhua, August 27, 2014


Economic ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have expressed wishes to jointly build the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, agreeing to start negotiations on upgrading the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA).

Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng attended the China-ASEAN economic ministers' meeting in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, and briefed the ASEAN ministers on Chinese President Xi Jinping's proposal to build the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

The proposal has gained wide understanding, support and positive response from the participating ASEAN ministers, Gao told Xinhua in an exclusive interview Tuesday night.

China's proposal is aimed at making the Chinese and ASEAN economies more complementary and tapping the potential for further cooperation between the two sides so as to find a new starting point, more common interests and new growth areas in the economy for promoting the bilateral strategic partnership, he said.

"The cooperation in building the Maritime Silk Road will focus on economic cooperation and will not touch the military and security areas," he said.

"As a principle, no party in the cooperation will be allowed to interfere in the internal affairs of countries in the region or seek the dominant power in regional affairs."

Secondly, Gao said, efforts will be made to ensure the cooperation should not harm the existing cooperation mechanism in the region, no new regional cooperative organizations or mechanism will be established and the existing cooperative mechanism will be free from any impact.

Thirdly, the key point of cooperation is to promote connectivity in the infrastructure and financial fields of the ASEAN states for realizing a win-win result, he added.

Gao added that some ASEAN economic ministers also wished to bring the issue to the Nanning Expo in mid-September for further discussion.

As the second important achievement of the China-ASEAN economic ministers consultations, Gao said, "We have made it clear that we will initiate negotiations for upgrading the ACFTA."

The ACFTA was established in 2010 after eight years of talks. According to Gao, trade volume between China and the ASEAN has increased at an average annual rate of 21 percent in the past ten years and the ASEAN has become the third largest trade partner of China.

China's investment in the ASEAN countries grew at an annual rate of 45 percent over the past few years. Incomplete statistics show that China's investment in ASEAN nations has exceeded 40 billion U.S. dollars and is growing at a high rate.

Despite the benefits brought by the rapid development of China- ASEAN economic relations over the past decade, both China and the ASEAN agreed the ACFTA can no longer fit the close economic and trade relations and development potential between China and ASEAN.

"So we have reached a consensus that it is necessary to initiate talks for upgrading the ACFTA," Gao said.

After about a year's negotiations, the two sides have worked out key documents and set the framework and objectives for further negotiations.

"The negotiation for upgrading ACFTA is aimed at further strengthening and deepening the cooperation in the fields of economy and technology, goods, services and investment, as well as relevant trade regulations," he said.

It is also targeted at improving the market access to enable both sides to better cope with regional and global challenges, support the implementation of the Maritime Silk Road strategy and realize the China-ASEAN trade target of 1 trillion U.S. dollars in 2020 set by the leaders of both sides, Gao added.

The Chinese minister said he and his ASEAN counterparts also discussed a series of major issues of common concern and reached important consensus.

"The proposal to establish an Asian infrastructure investment bank, raised by the Chinese side, was unanimously agreed by the ASEAN ministers who expressed wishes to take part in the preparations and establishment of the bank as initiators," Gao said.

"We also reached consensus on the signing of the ASEAN-Hong Kong Free Trade Area, which China's Central Government is willing to help Hong Kong sign the agreement at an early date," he added.

 

[Jlaw]

Xiamen University - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Xiamen University was open by Singaporean Tan Kah Kee 陈嘉庚. He basically gave everything to China leaving very little for his descendant. Tan was among the most wealthy SE Asian then.

Tan was the only person who was able to keep ranting and grumbling about communist without being persecuted by Mao.

At the end of his life, he get disappointed with Mao's communism.

Communism was experimental in the early years. Much like a young person entering the workforce. Through experience they gain, they adjust. That is what CPC has done. Without Mao, China will be split into 5 nations.

People who are rich and decide to give it away is their problem, not an issue other people are concerned about.