From Overseas Press

Thai-China relations: a friendship now not so special

(The Nation)
Updated: 2010-06-28 14:17

It must be mentioned here that in the early 1920s, Thailand had the best primary schools teaching the Chinese language (mandarin as we called it) in Southeast Asia. After the anti-China furore and the rise of Thai nationalism from 1930-1960, Chinese education in Thailand literally was wiped out. Studying Chinese language became illegal. TV programmes with Chinese language were banned. Anti-Chinese sentiment was so high that Chinese immigrants used Thai names, pretended successfully to be Thais while maintaining Chinese identities at home.

Fast forward to the 21th century, after China joined the World Trade Organisation in 2000: the urgency of knowing China and its language has staged a comeback. Suddenly, the Chinese language schools are flourishing again and demand for such teachers have hit the roof. Universities now have classes teaching Chinese along with Confucius Institutes from China. But the fact remains that Thai knowledge of China and overall Chinese history and culture is marginal and mediocre.

Can anybody identify any Thai original research and contribution to the China studies? There is just one I can recall off-hand. It was from Dr Sarasin Virapol, who dwelled on the role of Nangyang Chinese. Other works in the vernacular language are pathetic. Our understanding, or rather perception, of the world's largest country derives entirely from the West despite our geographical proximity to China. The time has come to learn from each other without the grand illusions of the past.

Let us face the reality than the blah-blah myth of excellent Thai-China relations. Today, our friendship is no longer special as we might want to believe. In fact, China's ties with Thailand "phuean-baan" (neighbouring countries) is more dynamic and multi-faceted. Just scrutinise the level and quality of friendship China has forged and accomplished in the past decade with Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

For instance, Cambodia-China friendship has been exemplary in terms of the speed of their evolution, since 2000, and the scope of cooperation they are willing to explore. Cambodian elementary schools now boast of the best Chinese language curriculums in Southeast Asia stuffed with hundreds of well-qualified Chinese teachers from the mainland.

To be fair, these neighbours are able to develop and consolidate unimpeded with China because they did not have chronic domestic unrests and undesirable developments persisting as in Thailand throughout the past decade. China does not have a foreign policy that lasts six month to fit Thailand's political stability.

Having said that, officials working on Thai-China relations and other programmes, especially those pertaining to the commemoration, have to cut all the crappy statements and fanfares and focus on the substance and future direction, especially on strategic matters. Thai-China relations are not a one-day event for kow-towing and congratulating each other.