8 | Tuesday, August 6, 2019 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY years onYEARS ON GUANGXI Editor's note: As the People’s Republic of China prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary on Oct 1, China Daily is featuring a series of stories on the role regions have played in the country’s development and where they are today. Cargo trucks wait at the Student bonded zone in Pingxiang, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, exchanges before heading to Vietnam. ZHOU JUN / FOR CHINA DAILY break down barriers By ZHOU JIN and ZHANG LI A Thai teacher with limited understanding of the Chinese language, Jariya Unthong reversed roles to enroll in Guangxi University in 2017 to study Chinese international edu­ cation. Married to a Chinese man, the 34­year­old had worked at the Guangxi University of Foreign Language for nine years teach­ ing Thai. “Curiosity about the history and culture of China has grown on me,” Jariya said. When she began teaching Thai at the university, Jariya said she knew almost no Chinese lan­ guage. She started to pick up some Chinese from her students. When teaching them Thai words or phrases, Jariya asked her stu­ dents to tell her the correspond­ ing Chinese for them so that she could learn. Her family and friends also helped with her learning and practice. In 2017, Jariya applied to the Chinese Government Scholar­ ship program to study at Guang­ xi University. As Guangxi actively promotes collaboration in edu­ cation and culture with mem­ Border town opens gateway to region bers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, she was given a scholarship provided by the local government to Pingxiang is Area: 236,700 square kilometers Annual per capita disposable she now manages and trains around ASEAN students. income of urban residents 20 Vietnamese workers. Um Saony, a Cambodian post­ taking advantage Unit: yuan 32,436 ($4,615) Her job pays about 3,500 yuan a graduate student who majors in 2018 49.26 of its proximity to 35000 2018 month, with better working and liv­ electrical engineering at Guang­ 30000 26,416 ing conditions. xi University, also benefited from ASEAN countries 25000 2015 “I like China and enjoy working education cooperation between 20000 here, and my language skills can be China and ASEAN. In 2017, he 8,917 to build strong Guangxi 15000 used to help Vietnamese workers was selected to study in Guangxi 10000 2005 185 289 communicate with Chinese,” said Le under a joint program of the Chi­ transport and 5000 1978 2015 47.96 Nanning 1958 who taught herself Chinese. na Southern Power Grid and the trade links 0 Zhang Tianjun, a human resour­ Cambodian government. Annual per capita disposable ces official in the city, said since Chi­ China Southern Power Grid By ZHOU JIN and ZHANG LI income of rural residents na and Vietnam started workforce selected 10 Cambodian candi­ Population in Pingxiang, Guangxi Unit: yuan cooperation in 2017, nearly 70,000 dates to study at Guangxi Uni­ Unit: million 12,435 ($1,769) 15000 Vietnamese workers have moved to versity that year as part of the 2018 Staff at the Friendship Pass in Ping­ 12000 Pingxiang. Belt and Road Initiative coopera­ 2005 46.6 9,467 xiang, a border city in the Guangxi 2015 Vietnamese can legally work in tion with ASEAN. Zhuang autonomous region, wake up 9000 Pingxiang on monthly renewable Guangxi has been recruiting daily to the noise of cargo trucks. 6000 2,495 visas and enjoy higher salaries as international students since Foreign trade volume 2005 Their rumbling engines are testimo­ GDP 3000 59 173 well as insurance coverage. 1958. From 2000 to last year, ny to the booming trade between Chi­ Unit: million dollar Unit: billion yuan 1958 1978 Pingxiang has also set up a cross­ more than 100,000 students na and Vietnam. 0 border workforce management cen­ from 133 countries studied in 1978 34.02 1958 51.29 Busy with exports from South and 2,035.25 ter to help streamline the visa Guangxi, according to the West China, as well as imports from ($289.59 billion) application process. regional education department. Southeast Asian countries like Viet­ 1978 269.31 2018 1,687 According to Zhang, most Viet­ The region has been offering nam and Thailand, trucks line up 2015 namese work at commercial trading more international education 398.41 waiting to pass through the border 2005 5,182.89 2005 posts at the borders, as well as the since China signed a free trade checkpoint. 7.59 integrated free trade zone nearby, in deal with ASEAN in 2002, which Huang Chengjie, a customs 1958 21.86 2015 51,262.15 1978 industries like cargo handling, tex­ boosted trade with member agent, buzzes around the trucks 2.45 tile processing and transportation. states. on his motorcycle, cooperating Zhang said cross­border work­ Last year, about 15,345 inter­ 2018 62,338.34 1958 with his partner to help client force cooperation had helped clamp national students studied in companies clear customs between Source: Bureau of Statistics of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region MUKESH MOHANAN / CHINA DAILY down on illegal work and entry, and Guangxi, 9,489 of them from China and Vietnam. enhanced management of foreign ASEAN, an increase of 40 per­ Huang works from 9 am to 9 pm, laborers. Pingxiang’s labor supply is cent from 2014, said the educa­ making dozens of trips between the Shaping as trade hub Singapore using the land border shrinking as more Chinese workers tion department. Guangxi now two countries’ checkpoints every It is hard to imagine that the bus­ crossing, he said. take up jobs in economically has one of the largest provincial­ day. tling border city was once scattered Amid the trade frictions advanced regions. The inflow of Viet­ level populations of students In 1992, Pingxiang was listed as with mines. Hundreds of thousand Vietnam is not just a between China and the United namese labor has eased the shortage, from Southeast Asian countries, one of the border cities for opening­ of mines were laid along the border partner of Guangxi, it States, some Chinese companies Zhang said. the department said. up by the State Council. In 2001, Chi­ during the confrontations between have relocated their manufactur­ Liang said abundant and low­cost Education cooperation is part na and the Association of Southeast China and Vietnam from 1979 to is a potential market ing bases to Vietnam, Meng said. Vietnamese labor will attract more of the people­to­people Asian Nations agreed to build a free­ 1989, according to Xinhua. for all of ASEAN that “They need to transport raw mate­ labor­intensive companies to invest in exchange, which is the third pil­ trade zone, making Guangxi a focal Kafeng, a village near the Friend­ will bring more rial to Vietnam, which has stimu­ the city. Last year, two­way trade lar of China­ASEAN cooperation point for cooperation with the bloc. ship Pass adjacent to Vietnam, was lated the logistics business in between Guangxi and Vietnam after political security and eco­ The regional body has been the larg­ one of the minefields. opportunities for the Pingxiang,” he said. reached 174.9 billion yuan, according nomic and trade cooperation. est trading partner of Guangxi for 19 In the 1980s, in order to make a port.” The largest exports to Vietnam to the Nanning Customs. The trade Seeking students from ASEAN consecutive years. living, villagers had no choice but to are electronics, followed by clothing volume between Guangxi and ASEAN countries also serves China’s dip­ When President Xi Jinping visit­ secretly conduct cross­border trade Meng Jianghua, official of the and commodities from Zhejiang reached 206 billion yuan last year, an lomatic objectives as close peo­ ed Guangxi in 2017, he urged the with Vietnam, selling necessities administrative committee of the province, while imports are mainly increase of 6.3 percent on 2017 ple­to­people exchanges are the region to make full use of its geo­ like bicycles, buckets and flashlights Pingxiang integrated free trade fruit and agricultural products from accounting for 50.2 percent of the key to sound state­to­state rela­ graphical location, coastlines, rivers to the neighboring country, said Wei zone Vietnam, Thailand and other region’s total foreign trade. tions, said Luo Yaoguang, direct­ and border areas to promote open­ Zeng, a Party official in the village. ASEAN countries. “Vietnam is not Its geographic advantage has or of the external cooperation ing­up and play a bigger role in the Many traders were injured or nam by rail and road. Its geographi­ just a partner of Guangxi, it is a prompted Guangxi to join in the and exchanges division in the Belt and Road Initiative. killed by the mines. “Life was not cal location means it is the most potential market for all of ASEAN construction of the New Interna­ education department. Geo­ The BRI has greatly increased easy at that time, they had nothing convenient trading hub and the key that will bring more opportunities tional Land­Sea Trade corridor, graphical proximity, cultural Guangxi’s trade with ASEAN coun­ to do but to take the risk,” he said. land route to Vietnam and other for the port,” Meng said. which is a new focus for the local similarities and ease of travel tries, which has brought huge oppor­ The situation began to improve ASEAN countries. Meng, the admin­ Vietnam is paying more attention government. have attracted more ASEAN stu­ tunities for Pingxiang, said Meng when Pingxiang started opening up. istrative committee official, said to the Belt and Road Initiative and As part of the BRI, the corridor is dents to Guangxi, he said.