Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul received Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun at Government House yesterday, during an official visit aimed at enhancing bilateral security and defence ties.
An official guard of honour, formed by the Volunteer Defence Corps, welcomed Admiral Dong at the Phra Thai Khu Fah Building, continuing the momentum generated by Anutin’s official visit to China the previous week.
Chinese defense officials acknowledged the positive outcomes of the Prime Minister’s recent high-level meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, expressing readiness to translate these initiatives into concrete mutual benefits.
During the meeting, Anutin advocated for the establishment of a "2+2" ministerial consultation framework, involving the foreign and defence ministers from both nations.
The mechanism aims to align security policies, improve intelligence sharing, the expansion of defence industries and cracking down on transnational crime, particularly online call centre scams affecting citizens of both countries.
Admiral Dong acknowledged Thailand’s key economic and security role in the region, emphasising that Beijing views Thailand as a close friend and supports establishing the strategic dialogue mechanism to deepen defence collaboration.
Both parties welcomed the agreed Terms of Reference (TOR) for a Joint Committee on Military Cooperation, Equipment and Technology. Acting as a defence-ministerial framework to guide long-term policy, Thailand confirmed its readiness to join the inaugural meeting in China.
Addressing defence sector development, Anutin highlighted Thailand's drive for self-reliance and invited Chinese industrial participation in research, joint production, technology transfer and the upcoming Defence & Security 2027 exhibition.
On regional stability, the Prime Minister restated Thailand’s commitment to peaceful dispute resolution through dialogue, international law and good neighbourliness, thanking China for supporting peaceful negotiations to safeguard regional peace and security.
Anutin concluded by reaffirming the enduring “brotherly” friendship between the two nations, expressing confidence that deeper defence cooperation will foster long-term economic growth, peace and resilience against global challenges.
