A Thai language competition and the 15th Guangxi University Students Thai Speech Open Championship is held on June 18. [Photo by Huang Yanmei/China News Service]

A Thai language competition and the 15th Guangxi University Students Thai Speech Open Championship was held on June 18, gathering 66 competitors from 18 Guangxi universities.

The event was held by the consulate general of Thailand in Nanning, with a focus on building a green world. Competitors participated in the event online, while the judges gathered at the west campus of Guangxi University for Nationalities.

Benjamas Tanvetyanont, Thailand's consul-general in Nanning, said that the event is intended to serve as a platform for Chinese students studying Thai in Guangxi to showcase their language skills and get more practice. It has the potential to help improve the quality of Thai teaching at Guangxi universities as well as increase students' abilities.

She added that Thailand has been dedicated to developing an environmental-friendly economy, reducing carbon emissions and developing a recycling economy, which is in line with China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25).

Wang Xiaoya of Guangxi University of Foreign Languages won the first-place prize in the professional group. She said that she chose Thai as her major due to her interest in Thai culture, and she will devote more time to studying in order to contribute to the Sino-Thailand friendship.

Guangxi has seen more exchange with Thailand in various aspects, as the frontier for China-ASEAN communication and cooperation. Currently, Guangxi has more students studying Thai than any other area in China, and it is also one of the most popular destinations for Thai students seeking further education.

Cui Xiaolin, vice president of Guangxi University of Foreign Languages, said that the connection and exchange between Guangxi and Thailand have become tighter with the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), creating more demand for Thai talents.