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International
Press Release
Edited
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Thai
Princess, Bilateral Officials Attend Ceremony Launching Album—
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Visit to Qinghai and Tibet
[DATELINE] – Bangkok, Thailand – At a formal yet friendly official
gathering largely representative of the ongoing close bilateral
relationship mutually enjoyed by the nations of Thailand and China,
today was held a launch ceremony marking the public release of the
glossy pictorial album, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Visit to
Qinghai and Tibet.
Conceived
and published by Beijing-based China International Publishing Group
(abbreviated as CIPG and also known as the China Foreign Languages
Publishing and Distribution Administration), the volume honors the
goodwill and good deeds of Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, and
specifically memorializes her 2007 journey to Tibet – her 24th visit
to China. In attendance at the launch ceremony, The Princess
recounted some of the highlights of her visit, including her
traversing of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau via the recently completed
Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR) – now one year in operation. Also
present was Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont and his wife,
[BETTER IF HER FIRST NAME IS INCLUDED].
Principal
bilateral attendees also included Vice Minister of the State Council
Information Office, P.R.C., and CIPG President Cai Mingzhao, the
Chinese Ambassador to Thailand, Zhang Jiuhuan, other Chinese
diplomatic envoys, well-known personages from the world of Thai
culture and religion, and several high-profile Chinese nationals
assigned to and residing in Thailand.
The
ceremony was jointly sponsored by China’s State Council Information
Office, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Kingdom
of Thailand, CIPG, and the Thailand-based Nan Mee Co., Ltd.
During
The Princess’s April 2007 travels through Qinghai and Tibet,
reporters and photographers with CIPG’s subsidiary magazine
publication, China Pictorial, accompanied the official entourage.
For posterity recording in word and image the goodwill tour and
personable cultural exchange, production of the high-quality volume
was timed to complete upon occasion of the 32nd anniversary of the
formal establishment of Sino-Thai diplomatic relations, and upon the
first anniversary of the QTR commencing operations.
In
following The Princess’s journey via the QTR, the colorful pages
also offer a vivid view into Tibet’s fascinating history, colorful
culture, unique customs and remarkable scenery. Further described
are particulars of the remarkable feat that was the engineering and
development of the railway – which reaches higher altitudes than any
other line in the world.
Perhaps
the most sentiment-rich scene shared within the volume is The
Princess’s happily emotional meeting in Tibet’s capital of Lhasa
with a group of Tibetan students, whom she sponsors and supports.
Also
exhibited at the ceremony were photographs The Princess personally
shot during her visit to Qinghai and Tibet.
Since
1981 to this date, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has experienced
24 separate journeys through China, traveling to many regions,
provinces and cities. By extensively recording in writing those
travel experiences, including her personal insight into and
impressions of the nation and the people, The Princess has become
known as something of a sinologue. Formally recognizing her
well-known expertise in things Chinese, as well as her dedicated
research on Chinese culture and history, in recent years the Chinese
government presented The Princess with the “Chinese Language Culture
Friendship Award,” and the “Understanding and Friendship
International Literature Award.”
During
the ceremonial proceedings, upon presenting The Princess with the
volume and additional souvenirs of her trip, Vice Minister of the
State Council Information Office, P.R.C., and CIPG President Cai
Mingzhao said: “Also intended as a token of friendship between China
and Thailand, this album is symbolic of the real and ever stronger
friendship that exists between our two nations.”
One of
the largest publishing concerns in China, CIPG is the administering
umbrella organization for nine book publishing houses and five
periodical publishing houses. Each year three thousand varying
volumes and 24 periodicals in 20 languages are published and
distributed to more than 100 countries and regions. Nearly 30
websites in 10 languages are operated by CIPG, and among these is
www.china.org.cn, one of the best-known online mediums in the
nation.
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