On Sept. 20, Gao Xiang, president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), met in Beijing with a delegation led by Dr. Wiparat De-ong, executive director of the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT).

Gao noted that China and Thailand are close neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, with a deep friendship forged through a long history of cultural exchange and mutual support. In recent years, under the close attention and guidance of the leaders of both countries, the China–Thailand comprehensive strategic partnership has continued to advance steadily, with deepening political mutual trust, an increasingly solid foundation for cooperation, and mutually beneficial cooperation across various fields reaching new heights.

In May 2024, the CASS–NRCT Center of China Studies was officially inaugurated in Bangkok, providing a new platform for academic research, think-tank exchanges, and talent cultivation between the two sides. Gao said that CASS places great importance on academic cooperation with Thailand and stands ready to work with the NRCT to deepen joint research on issues of shared interest and expand collaboration in archaeological excavation, the conservation and restoration of cultural relics, and research on religion and culture.

The youth of both nations, Gao stressed, represent the future of China–Thailand friendship. CASS will further promote exchanges among young scholars and student exchanges between the two countries, create better conditions for them to deepen mutual understanding and forge closer bonds, and carry forward the longstanding friendship embodied in the idea of “China and Thailand as one family” through youth exchanges.

De-ong thanked CASS for its warm hospitality and noted that, since its establishment, the CASS–NRCT Center of China Studies has strongly promoted academic exchanges between the two sides and served as an important bridge linking them. The NRCT, she added, looks forward to further deepening cooperation with CASS in archaeology, history, sociology, and other disciplines, and will select more outstanding scholars to study in China while welcoming more young Chinese scholars to Thailand, thereby further strengthening cooperation between the two sides.

Heads of relevant CASS departments also attended the meeting.