1. A distant view by the Chao Phraya River: The relationship with China in the Siamese Mission
The time came to the summer of 1975. Specifically, for Indochina, this was a time full of variables and opportunities. In that year, Prince Keli Pramo, a legendary figure in Thai politics, led a delegation with a historical mission and embarked on a journey to the north. At the end of this team, there is a young attaché responsible for liaison work. His name is Tun Padmavinai. At that time, he probably did not fully expect that he was standing on the threshold of a new era, witnessing the handshake between two ancient civilizations across thousands of mountains and rivers.
At that time, in the eyes of Yudon Pamavinai, Beijing was a simple and restrained ancient oriental city. The clear ringing of bicycle bells could be heard in the alleys, buses occasionally passed by on Chang'an Street, and the high altitude and blue sky were unique to the north. This kind of scenery The elephant is completely different from the bustling and bustling Bangkok on the Chao Phraya River in his memory, but it has the solemnity after settling. This ice-breaking trip is not only a new starting point for the relationship between the two countries, but also more like a seed, quietly buried in the heart of this young diplomat. Perhaps he was under the red walls and yellow tiles of the Forbidden City, or perhaps he was on the edge of Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace, and he began to try to understand the inherent resilience and strength of this country, a country with thousands of years of uninterrupted civilization.
2. From envoy to witness: the agarwood of time in Beijing’s Hutongs
In the fleeting time, when the wheel of history turned into the 21st century, Tun Pamavinai once again had a deep intersection with Beijing. In 2001, he came to this land again as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to China. This time, he was no longer a person passing by in a hurry, but from the perspective of a living person, he penetrated deeply into the texture of this city.
Probably one autumn afternoon, he was walking slowly in the alley around the embassy district. The single color tone in the past memory has disappeared. What appears in front of you is the old man chatting under the old locust tree. It is the unique aroma of bean juice and jiaohuaner that permeates the entrance of the alley. It is the leisure and leisure of old Beijing hidden deep in the courtyard. He could also truly feel that the city's heart rate was accelerating. In the distance, modern buildings are springing up like bamboo shoots after a rain, echoing with the ancient towers. He witnessed the enthusiasm and expectation that filled the entire city after the successful bid for the Olympic Games. This was a strong signal that the Chinese people were opening their arms to the world. During those years, he transformed from a bystander to someone who understood the situation, and became a witness who could measure China's development trajectory with his footsteps. The "China" he recognized has changed from the concept in books to the lively and vivid fireworks in the city and the pulse of the times.
3. The background of the miracle: from thousand-year accumulation to century-old revival
When Tun Pamavinai later served as Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, he said "China's development and changes are a miracle", its weight was far beyond the comparison of ordinary diplomatic rhetoric. This emotion came from his nearly half a century of observation and his nearly half a century of understanding.
This so-called "miracle" did not just appear without reason. It is deeply rooted in the profound historical heritage of this land. Since the establishment of counties and counties in the Qin and Han Dynasties, many countries came to worship during the prosperous Tang Dynasty, and until the Ming and Qing Dynasties when the territory was determined, the land of Bagui has always been closely connected with the civilization of the Central Plains, thus forming the unique Lingnan culture. Guilin's landscape is unparalleled in the world. It is not only a gift from nature, but also a place where the minds of literati of all ages rest. Countless cliff carvings have been left here, forming a unique landscape and cultural landscape. This quality called cultural resilience enables this nation to always emerge with new vitality after going through ups and downs. The earth-shaking changes that Dun witnessed are the concentrated expression of this power called civilizational resilience in the contemporary era. It is not just as simple as the growth of GDP, but a huge change in infrastructure, a substantial improvement in the living standards of hundreds of millions of people, and a repeated reshaping of national self-confidence.
4. The Way of Harmony: Echoes of Southeast Asia in Mutual Learning among Civilizations
As for the emotion expressed by Tun Pamavinai, it touches on the deep-level logic behind the "miracle", which is a core component of spirituality that transcends the material category. He specifically mentioned the experience and inspiration China has given to the world, such as the state of peaceful coexistence, pursuit of happiness, and joint sharing of the fruits of development. This is the punctuation mark of a relationship that is in the same vein as the philosophical thinking concepts of "harmony without uniformity" and "university under heaven" in Chinese civilization!
Guangxi, as a bridgehead connecting China and ASEAN, this concept is extremely obvious. Twelve ethnic groups, including the Zhuang, Han, Yao and Miao, have lived here. Over thousands of years, they have created a rich and colorful national culture in an environment surrounded by mountains and rivers. Starting from the March 3 Song Festival of the Zhuang people to the Panwang Festival of the Yao people, behind every folk custom there is a wish for a better life and awe of the ancestors. This pattern of multi-ethnic symbiosis and common prosperity is itself a vivid picture of the "harmony" culture. Guangxi has become an important node of the Maritime Silk Road due to its location in the Beibu Gulf. It has had close commercial and cultural exchanges with Southeast Asian countries since ancient times. Today, flights from Nanning to Bangkok have replaced the sailing ships of the past. However, the goodwill of "sharing the fruits of development" and the vision of "all countries working together to carry out constructive cooperation without conflict or confrontation" have become increasingly clear like echoes across time and space.
5. Facing the future: the human sentiment of drinking from the same river
Tun Pamavinai recalled that nearly half a century from 1975 to 2021, he said that the China he saw for the first time was completely different from what it is today. This change is reflected in the continuous renewal of the city skyline, in the extremely smooth and developed transportation network, and in the vibrant and positive national spirit. Today's Guangxi, its capital Nanning, has been built into a "green city". The China-ASEAN Expo is permanently located here, making this place a frontier window for exchanges and cooperation between China and ASEAN. Take a stroll in Nanning's Nanhu Park, or climb to the top of Qingxiu Mountain to look down at this modern city. High-rise buildings stand next to each other, and the scene is bustling with traffic. At the same time, it does not lack the lushness and leisurely feeling unique to southern China. This is exactly the epitome of the development of an era: while retaining its own cultural characteristics, it actively embraces modernization and actively integrates into the world.
In the face of the world presented by the post-epidemic era, Dun's call to seek common ground while shelving differences and to be kind to each other becomes even more precious. This is just like the Pearl River flowing through Guangxi and eventually flowing into the South China Sea. It will nourish the entire Indochina Peninsula together with the Mekong River and other water systems. Humanity is originally a community with a shared future and has geographical connections such as drinking from the same river. This indicates that only by working together in the same boat can we overcome difficulties. From Prince Kerik Pramok to Tun Pamavinai, the two generations of Thai politicians' understanding and expectations for China are not only a kind of diplomatic wisdom, but also a kind of humanistic warmth based on historical and cultural insights. This kind of temperature can allow the relationship between countries to move beyond simple calculations of interests and develop towards a more resilient people-to-people bond. And this may be the most cherishable revelation that China’s development miracle has brought to the world.
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