China has agreed to lend a new panda to Thailand and has expressed interest in the land bridge mega project, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said today, following his discussion with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

He said that the new panda, which was requested by Thailand, will be kept at the zoo in Chiang Mai.

Lin Hui was the last of three pandas loaned to Thailand by China in 2003. It died of old age at Chiang Mai zoo in April last year.

Regarding the land bridge project, the prime minister said that, during the discussion, Wang Yi mentioned that Thailand should have a deep-sea port, as envisioned in the land bridge project, because several large Chinese companies have, in recent years, invested in manufacturing plants in Thailand and that Thailand should be a regional hub for the export of goods.

He disclosed that Thai Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit will soon lead a delegation to China, to showcase the land bridge project to potential Chinese investors.

During the discussion, the prime minister said that the Chinese foreign minister had mentioned that he would like to see a quarantine facility set up in Thailand for the export of Thai cattle to China, as China wants to import more from Thailand.

The animal quarantine facility is currently located in Laos, which makes it inconvenient for Thai cattle to be exported to China, said the prime minister.