GUIYANG, July 22 -- China and ASEAN countries are seeking closer ties in education cooperation as the 2019 China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week opened Monday in Gui'an New Area, southwest China's Guizhou Province.

This year's event attracted more than 2,400 representatives and students from China, ASEAN member states and seven specially invited partner countries, including Russia, Switzerland, and Kazakhstan.

They will participate in 10 parallel forums consisting of 22 sub-projects.

They are expected to enhance cooperation on higher, vocational and preschool education, innovation and entrepreneurship training in college, school-enterprise cooperation and youth exchanges.

Education is one of the pillars of ASEAN social culture, with educational cooperation covering multiple areas, said Nitivadee Manitkul, consul-general of the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Kunming.

"Guizhou's experience in applying advanced technologies in various fields to promote poverty alleviation and improve people's livelihood sets a good example for other countries and regions," Manitkul said.

Guizhou has strengthened education cooperation with ASEAN in recent years. A total of 36 universities in the province, including Guizhou University, have built cooperative partnerships with 85 colleges and educational institutions of ASEAN member states. Some 71 percent of the international students in Guizhou come from ASEAN countries.

Starting from 2008, the education cooperation week has developed into a high-end platform and a solid bridge that makes positive contributions to China-ASEAN relations.