Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Friday on the sidelines of the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima, Peru. The leaders discussed strengthening bilateral relations and deepening cooperation across various sectors.
President Xi highlighted the important consensus reached during his visit to Thailand in November 2022, where both nations agreed to build a China-Thailand community with a shared future. He expressed satisfaction with the effective implementation of the agreements, noting positive progress in cooperation that has brought tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries.
“China is willing to work with Thailand to promote the historical Sino-Thai friendship,” Xi stated. He emphasized the importance of aligning development strategies, deepening exchanges on governance, and advancing mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas. This collaboration, he noted, will aid both countries in their modernization efforts and further the building of the China-Thailand community with a shared future.
President Xi called for accelerating the construction of the China-Thailand railway, a key infrastructure project under the Belt and Road Initiative. He also urged expansion of cooperation in emerging fields such as new energy, the digital economy, and artificial intelligence. Strengthening cultural, educational, and youth exchanges was also highlighted as a priority to foster mutual understanding between the two nations.
On multilateral cooperation, Xi expressed China’s willingness to enhance coordination with Thailand within frameworks such as Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, ASEAN, BRICS, and APEC. He emphasized the importance of upholding unity and cooperation among ASEAN and regional countries to contribute positively to regional peace, stability, development, and prosperity.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra acknowledged the numerous challenges facing the world today and commended China’s strategic and forward-looking global initiatives that promote greater unity and cooperation within the international community.
“China is a good friend and partner to Thailand,” Paetongtarn declared, expressing admiration for China’s achievements in areas such as poverty alleviation. She looked forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of China-Thailand diplomatic relations and the “Golden Year of Friendship” next year. The Prime Minister emphasized strengthening high-level exchanges and jointly creating a better future for Sino-Thai relations for the next 50 years.
Thailand hopes to learn from China’s successful development experience and continue advancing joint initiatives under the Belt and Road Initiative, including the China-Thailand railway. Paetongtarn highlighted the importance of strengthening people-to-people exchanges to deepen their historical friendship.
Furthermore, she expressed Thailand’s desire to enhance cooperation with China within multilateral frameworks such as APEC and work together to maintain the free trade system.
The meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Paetongtarn signifies a strengthening of bilateral relations and a commitment to collaborative efforts that will not only benefit both nations but also contribute to regional development and prosperity.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
