President Xi Jinping of China has voiced support for Thailand joining BRICS, an intergovernmental organization currently comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates, and to play host to regional organisation meetings, such as the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) and Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC).
Xi also pledged cooperation with Thailand in the development of clean energy and digital technology, to expand trade and investment and educational cooperation, as well as in the suppression of transnational and online crimes.
President Xi and his delegation held bilateral talks yesterday with their Thai counterparts, led by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, on the side lines of the APEC Summit in Lima, Peru.
According to Government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub, President Xi hailed the special friendship between China and Thailand and said that the close relationship will be further enhanced in the next 50 years in economics, culture, trade, education and space technology.
In response, Prime Minister Paetongtarn expressed Thailand’s readiness to learn from China’s experience in coping with natural disasters and advances in new technologies, such as space, EVs and clean energy.
She also said that Thailand is ready to cooperate with China, under the framework of Global Civilisation Initiative, to promote Thailand’s soft power, as well as cultural and tourism exchanges.
The prime minister expressed her admiration for China’s development and advances in various fields, such as its so called “new quality productive forces” which, she said, correspond with Thailand’s development endeavours.
Paetongtarn thanked China for its decision to loan the Buddha Tooth Relic in Beijing to Thailand, to be placed at Sanam Luang on December 4th to commemorate His Majesty the King’s 72nd birthday on July 28th, as well as the loan of a new pair of giant Pandas, to mark the 50th anniversary of formal relations between Thailand and China next year.
