Documentary celebrates China-ASEAN cooperation

The special episode of documentary Dialogue with ASEAN will make its premiere on Thursday, celebrating the China-ASEAN Year of People-to-People Exchanges by spotlighting the achievements of cooperation between China and ASEAN nations.

Filmed on location across Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, the 45-minute special episode brings five stories across domains of society, economy, ecology, science and technology, and culture.

Besides high-profile examples such as the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, China-ASEAN Week, and the China-ASEAN Excellence Scholarship program, the episode also delves into pragmatic instances of people-to-people exchanges facilitated by nongovernmental organizations, academic institutions, and research bodies.

These include a foundation in Hong Kong partnering with mainland medical teams to provide free cataract surgeries across ASEAN states, experts on cultural relic conservation from Shaanxi aiding the restoration of Buddhist pagodas in Myanmar, and scholars from Shanghai Jiao Tong University collaborating with Lao health authorities to combat schistosomiasis.

The documentary aims to provide a multifaceted glimpse into the over 30-year journey of ever-closer China-ASEAN relations by highlighting the interconnectivity, win-win cooperation, and cross-cultural synergies between China and ASEAN nations.

The special episode will air at 10 pm on Thursday on Dragon TV. An English version will concurrently debut across mainstream ASEAN media platforms via the overseas channels of the Shanghai Media Group.

The documentary is under the guidance of the Asian Affairs Department of China's Foreign Ministry, the International Cooperation Department of China's National Radio and Television Administration, and the Shanghai Radio and Television Administration, academically supported by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and was produced by SMG's documentary center.

A press conference heralding the global premiere of the documentary was held on Sept 26 in Beijing.