Sun Chunlan, president of the International Confucian Association (ICA), met with Phinij Jarusombat, former deputy prime minister of Thailand, president of the Thai-Chinese Cultural and Relationship Council (TCCRC), and vice-chair of the ICA, in Beijing on April 24.

Sun extended a warm welcome to Phinij and his delegation, and expressed her appreciation for his long-standing dedication to fostering friendly cooperation between China and Thailand and advancing the development of bilateral relations.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand, Sun said the ICA and the TCCRC have actively implemented the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI). She emphasized that the Hehe Civilization Forum, to be held in Bangkok on June 10, the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations, holds great significance.

Sun thanked Phinij for his strong support for the ICA's work and the Hehe Civilization Forum. She said she hoped to see further cooperation to promote mutual learning among civilizations, increase mutual understanding between people of both countries, enhance people-to-people bonds, and contribute to deepening and substantiating the building of a China-Thailand community with a shared future.

Phinij acknowledged the profound and far-reaching influence of Confucian wisdom in the development of Thailand, China, and the world at large as well as progress of human civilization. He said the TCCRC is willing to co-host the Hehe Civilization Forum with the ICA in honor of the 50th anniversary of Thailand-China diplomatic relations.

Phinij said the TCCRC will strengthen cooperation with the ICA to play a greater role in deepening cultural exchanges between the two countries and promoting Thailand-China friendship.

The meeting was also attended by Hao Ping, executive vice-president of the ICA; Wang Xinke, Fu Xiaoxing, and Le Tai, deputy secretaries-general of the TCCRC; Ma Jianfei, secretary-general of the ICA; and Lan Suhong, deputy secretary-general of the ICA.

The TCCRC, established in September 2013, is an organization dedicated to promoting exchanges in culture, education, economy and trade between China and Thailand. Over the years, it has been committed to fostering inter-governmental communication and cooperation and friendly people-to-people exchanges.

The Hehe Civilization Forum, a flagship initiative of the ICA, is a high-end platform for academic discussions, cultural exchanges and dialogue among civilizations. It aims to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning, enhance mutual trust, foster consensus, and leverage the Eastern wisdom of harmony and cooperation to address global issues and challenges. The forum is a key practice of the GCI, advocating for a harmonious and interconnected world. Since its inception, the forum has been held five times in various countries, including China, Japan, Singapore, and France, receiving positive international feedback.

The 2025 Hehe Civilization Forum, under the theme "Harmony and Cooperation: Advancing Prosperity and Progress of Civilizations", is scheduled to take place in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 10.