Foreign Affairs Minister Maris Sangiampongsa met with Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party, in Beijing on Wednesday (July 10). Mr Liu visited Thailand in March to discuss international relations, reports the Bangkok Post.
Mr Maris took the official trip, which ran from Monday to Wednesday, at the invitation of China’s Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi, to follow up on Thai-China cooperation.
The trip also marked the close diplomatic ties between Thailand and China ahead of their 50th anniversary of relations next year.
Mr Maris said that officials at the meeting discussed cooperation in many sectors from national security to tourism. Cooperation in suppressing criminal elements, such as crime syndicates and narcotics, is one of them, he said.
Thai delegates also proposed the possibility of air pollution mitigation under the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation guideline, he said.
The proposal received positive feedback from the Chinese delegates, said Mr Maris, adding that they also supported the eight-dimension “Ignite Thailand” policies of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
Mr Maris said the Chinese delegates mentioned the importance of pushing for several megaprojects between the two countries, including high-speed trains, electronic vehicle manufacturing and the digital economy policy.
In the past year, the export value of Thai durian to China was over 4 billion yuan (B20bn).
The completion of the Thai-China high-speed railway is expected to enhance the trade between the two countries.
According to Mr Maris, the Chinese delegates said they were also impressed with a speech by Pheu Thai leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra, given during the Inter-Party Brics Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, last month.
Thailand was among 14 nations that submitted their application to join the intergovernmental organisation bloc Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates) this year.
During the forum, Ms Paetongtarn gave a speech advocating for Thailand’s membership, emphasising the importance of the voices of smaller and developing nations in the global political arena.
Mr Maris explained that Chinese authorities had expressed their support for Thailand’s application and hoped Ms Paetongtarn would attend the Brics summit next year.
Mr Maris said that his visit was a result of both countries’ close-knit relationships, adding his experience as a diplomat will help deepen ties.