On July 26, 2025, while the "2025 China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week" commenced, the "2025 China-ASEAN Regional Important Education Center Cities Construction and High-Level Opening Sub-Forum", which was hosted by the University of International Business and Economics and Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, was grandly held in Guiyang, Guizhou province. Dr. Wu Zhong, Director General of FCSSC, was invited to attend the forum and delivered a keynote speech.
Guided by the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange, this forum is the first of its kind under the backdrop of the deepening China-ASEAN strategic partnership and China's commitment to the education policy of "bringing in and going out." This forum was held in response to President Xi's important discourse on education, and holds profound practical significance for promoting regional educational development and broad cooperation between China and ASEAN, as well as for facilitating the sharing of experiences and achievements.
In his keynote address titled "Promoting the Construction of Important Education Center Cities in the China-ASEAN Region through South-South Cooperation," Dr. Wu emphasized that building important education center cities in the China-ASEAN region is a crucial measure to achieve the goal of becoming a strong educational nation by 2035 and to strengthen the China-ASEAN strategic partnership. It is also an inevitable requirement for consolidating relations with neighboring countries and achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among the 17 SDGs established by the United Nations, the fourth goal explicitly states the need to "ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all."With the rise of countries in the Global South, the demand for education is continuously expanding. FCSSC, as a comprehensive platform providing experience sharing, capacity cooperation, and financial services to Global South countries within the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, will continue to leverage its advantages based in Hong Kong. It aims to promote the cross-regional flow of resources and factors to better support the development of education and international cooperation for Global South countries.
During the forum, FCSSC signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of International Business and Economics, aiming to integrate the advantageous resources of both parties and provide intellectual support for China-ASEAN cooperation.
Important guests attending the forum also included:Jiang Dailan, Deputy Minister of Education and Technology of Indonesia; Yu Changxue, Director of the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange; Chen Yunkun, Director of the Guizhou Provincial Department of Education; Huang Baoyin, Secretary of the Party Committee of the University of International Business and Economics; Wang Qiang, Vice President of the UIBE; Fan Shengwei, Secretary of the Guizhou Provincial Federation of Social Sciences; Zhao Pu,Vice President of the Guizhou Academy of Social Sciences. Additionally, leaders and scholars from various universities in the Southwest region were present.
