The 10th Anniversary of the Establishment of the China-Thailand Joint Laboratory Celebrated in Xiamen
On November 9, 2023, the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Establishment of the China-Thailand Joint Laboratory for Climate and Marine Ecosystem (hereinafter referred to as "China-Thailand Joint Laboratory") was held in Xiamen. More than 100 guests from relevant competent departments of China and Thailand, Xiamen City, and the Consulate General of Thailand in Xiamen participated in the event. XU Dachun, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources of China, and Chayanan Pakdeejit, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand, delivered speeches.
On behalf of the Ministry of Natural Resources of China, XU Dachun extended congratulations on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Thailand Joint Laboratory. He reviewed a series of fruitful achievements in maritime cooperation between China and Thailand and proposed suggestions for further bilateral cooperation. First, both sides should leverage the roles of the China-Thailand Joint Laboratory as a bridge and a platform to establish a China-Thailand maritime cooperation model that sets the standard for regional maritime cooperation in Southeast Asia. Second, both sides should strengthen the cooperation under the framework of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), jointly initiate the protection and restoration of coral reefs, marine spatial planning, and marine sustainable development, and contribute to the scientific plans and programs that further carbon neutrality and other goals. Third, the two sides should be problem- and target-oriented and employ systematic thinking. They should closely link human activities with ocean health and promote the transformation of research achievements into effective solutions that can improve regional ocean governance, catalyze marine sustainable development, and benefit coastal communities.
Chayanan Pakdeejit stated that the China-Thailand Joint Laboratory has undertaken a comprehensive range of activities under the framework of bilateral maritime cooperation, including supporting research projects, fostering capacity building, organizing training and seminars, and conducting researcher exchange and management. Over the years, the China-Thailand Joint Laboratory has consistently implemented projects, which have delivered tangible results, demonstrating the earnest commitment and concerted efforts of both countries to foster maritime cooperation. Thailand remains committed to supporting relevant cooperation. The country hopes that both sides will take the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Thailand Joint Laboratory as a fresh beginning, carry out high-level and deeper maritime cooperation, and foster a growing number of new growth drivers, striding confidently into an even more promising decade ahead side by side.
Before the celebration, participants visited an exhibition showcasing the fruitful cooperation achievements of China and Thailand over the past decade. For instance, the ocean forecasting system, marine microplastics monitoring system, and marine geological data visualization system, among some other systems jointly developed by both sides, vividly display the dynamic changes of key marine parameters in the waters surrounding Thailand. The large-scale marine geological map and visualized data system represent significant milestones in China-Thailand cooperation. Independent R&D equipment, including the Bailong buoy and intelligent marine ecological observation system, have been widely integrated into various China-Thailand joint endeavors, and the new GNSS buoy has piqued considerable interest of the Thailand side. The Marine Spatial Planning Proposal and the Marine Microplastics Brochure that have been delivered to Thailand underscore the important achievements made by China and Thailand in marine sustainable development.
Additionally, participants jointly viewed a video celebrating the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Thailand Joint Laboratory. The video presentation reviewed the decade-long journey of the Laboratory, outlining its operational achievements, and highlighting its pivotal role in marine environment forecasting, marine spatial planning, marine ecological protection, coastal disaster prevention and mitigation, air-sea interaction, marine science and technology training, and capacity building, among other aspects.
Group photo of guests attending the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Establishment of the China-Thailand Joint Laboratory for Climate and Marine Ecosystem