Information

1. Xi Jinping unanimously elected Chinese president， PRC CMC chairman

Mar. 10， 2023 （Xinhua） — Xi Jinping was unanimously elected Chinese president on March 10 at the ongoing session of Chinas national legislature， leading the country of 1.4 billion people onto a new journey toward modernization. He was also elected chairman of the Central Military Commission （CMC） of the Peoples Republic of China （PRC） by a unanimous vote. A total of 2，952 deputies were present at the third plenary meeting of the first session of the 14th National Peoples Congress （NPC） on March 10， to exercise their constitutional right to elect Chinas state leadership.

2. Thai House of Representatives dissolved ahead of general election

Mar. 21， 2023 （Xinhua） — Thailand announced on March 20 that the House of Representatives has been dissolved， paving the way for a general election within two months， according to a royal decree. It is expedient to dissolve the House of Representatives to hold a new general election of members of the House of Representatives， wrote the royal decree， which has been royally endorsed. The general election of the 500-member House of Representatives will be held earliest in 45 days or latest in 60 days from March 20， according to the announcement released on the royal Thai government gazette website.

3. Vietnam welcomes 1st Chinese tour groups in three years

Mar. 7， 2023 （Xinhua） — Vietnams tourism authority and northern provincial peoples committee of Lang Son held a ceremony to welcome the first batch of Chinese tour groups in three years since the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour groups of 120 Chinese travellers were greeted at the Huu Nghi International Border Gate with beautiful gifts and traditional art performances. Tourism， one of Vietnams leading foreign exchange earners， has suffered a setback due to the pandemic. The Southeast Asian country targets to receive over 8 million international visitors this year， according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

4. Cambodia launches China-aided landmine elimination project for 2023-2025

Mar. 10， 2023 （Xinhua） — Cambodia has launched the China-aided landmine elimination project for 2023-2025， aiming to clear over 100 square kilometers of landmine and explosive remnants of war （ERW） in three provinces， Cambodian Mine Action Center （CMAC） Director-General Heng Ratana said. The launching event was held on March 9 in Siem Reap province. This was the third phase of the China-Aided Cambodia Landmines Elimination Project. The first two phases started in 2018 and ended in 2022， clearing a total of 74.9 square kilometers of contaminated land and destroying 71，558 landmines and ERWs.

5. China， Thailand sign memorandum on translation of classics

Mar. 14， 2023 （Xinhua） — Chinas National Press and Publication Administration on March 13 signed a memorandum with Thailands Ministry of Higher Education， Science， Research and Innovation on translating and publishing classic works from the two countries. According to the memorandum， 50 classic works from these countries will be translated and published within the next five years， in a bid to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between Chinese and Thai people through the provision of more fine translated works. The signing of the memorandum is expected to generate new opportunities and serve as a driving force for deepening cultural exchanges and mutual learning between the two countries.

6. Documentary film featuring Cambodia-China cooperation inaugurated

Mar. 14， 2023 （Xinhua） — A documentary film depicting the development achievements of Cambodia under cooperation with China was inaugurated on March 14. Titled “The Smile of Cambodia”， the documentary， dubbed into Khmer with Chinese subtitles， was divided into three episodes. Cambodian Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith said the documentary told the story of daily life in Cambodia， featuring the countrys development in infrastructure， economy， and culture， among others. The documentary will be premiered on TVK and other local TVs as well as social media platforms.

7. Laos launches online ticketing service for China-Laos Railway with new App

Mar. 15， 2023 （Xinhua） — The Laos-China Railway Co.， Ltd. （LCRC） launched its ticketing mobile application， allowing passengers to easily book and manage their journeys on smartphones. The launch of the LCR Ticket mobile application adds to the comfort and efficiency of the passengers journey， marking the China-Laos railways official entry into the era of online ticket sales. As the number of passengers traveling on the China-Laos Railway is mounting， the LCRC has developed an APP system for ticketing online to further facilitate ticket purchases. The APP supports ticket reservation and cancellation， and provides information on train schedules， stations， and routes.

8. Laos， Cambodia reaffirm commitment to enhance cooperation on border security

Mar. 20， 2023 （Xinhua） — Laos and Cambodia have reaffirmed their commitment to enhance cooperation on maintaining security along the border. Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Security Vilay Lakhamfong， and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng signed a memorandum of cooperation on March 19， to further enhance cooperation. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to enhance cooperation on maintaining security along the border， drug control and inspection， prevention of human trafficking， illegal immigration， telecom and cyber crimes.