Working Together towards New Prospects of the Development of China-Thailand Relations
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of Thailand
Zhang Jianwei
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand and the “Golden Jubilee 50 Years of China-Thailand Friendship”. The two sides have just jointly held grand celebration activities in Beijing and Bangkok. At this special moment, I have been appointed by President Xi Jinping as the 14th Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of Thailand. I am deeply honored by this mission, with full awareness of the serious responsibility it shoulders upon.
Thailand is renowned worldwide as the “Land of Smiles”. Upon arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport, I was immediately overwhelmed by its warmth and hospitality. On the way to the city center, the thoughtful and convenient travel facilitation services provide for Chinese tourists have impressed me most. New energy-powered vehicles are of good percentage of the traffic on the road, and 5G networks are transforming Bangkok into a smart city full of a sense of hi-technology. I am so delighted that China-Thailand cooperation could make such vibrant contribution and benefit local people’s everyday livelihood.
The sentiment of “China and Thailand are as close as one family” is deep-rooted in the profound accumulation of friendship spanning millennia. Chinese people made the first visit to Thailand as early as about two thousand years ago, as indicated in the ancient Chinese written records. Throughout the long course of history after that, the peoples of our two countries have engaged in friendly exchanges and lived in harmony, leaving behind countless stories of enduring friendship. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two sides have valued each other with sincerity and shared weal and woe. Whether it was the Asian financial crisis, the Indian Ocean tsunami, the Wenchuan earthquake, or the COVID-19 pandemic, we have stood together side by side and supported each other, regardless of difficulties and challenges. Our friendship lasts longer and grows stronger over the time and beyond the time.
The flourishment of China-Thailand relations has been nourished by the personal attention and strategic guidance of our highest level leadership. The leaders of China and Thailand have maintained close exchanges, like visiting relatives, and many members of the Thai Royal Family have personally promoted friendly exchanges as well. In November 2022, President Xi Jinping paid a historic visit to Thailand, during which the two leaders reached important consensus on building a China-Thailand Community with a Shared Future. We look forward to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana of Thailand paying a state visit to China. As a reliable and trustworthy partner of Thailand, China has always prioritized our relations in its neighborhood diplomacy. China is committed to advancing the implementation of the important consensus reached by the two leaders and advance the building of the China-Thailand Community with a shared future for enhanced stability, prosperity and sustainability
Mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Thailand is in line with the inherited needs of both countries to achieve their respective development goals. China has been Thailand’s largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years and its second-largest export market, absorbing over 40% of Thailand’s agricultural exports. It has also been one of Thailand’s major foreign investors in recent years. The two sides have achieved fruitful results in jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative. New progress has been continuously made in the field of connectivity, and cooperation in areas such as the digital economy, green development, and scientific and technological innovation is flourishing. Last month, China and Thailand successfully conducted their first remote robotic surgery through a 5G network. China will continue working with Thailand to synergize the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with Thailand’s development strategies to better support the modernization of both countries, by implementing the China-Thailand Joint Action Plan for Strategic Cooperation and promoting practical cooperation across all sectors between the two sides.
China-Thailand friendship resonates the strong expectations of the two peoples for closer ties. The sentiment of “China and Thailand are as close as one family” is the shared aspiration of the two peoples, while passing on our traditional friendship between generations is more than a common wish. China is one of the main sources of tourists for Thailand. The mutual visa-free policy has further facilitated personnel exchanges between our two countries. There are over 30,000 students from each country studying in the other, and 3 million people have paid respects to the Buddha’s tooth relic from Beijing Lingguang Temple, which was enshrined in Thailand. A new round of international cooperation on giant pandas is currently making steady progress. I’m glad that Chinese trendy toy brands LABUBU and DIMOO have been awarded the titles of “Amazing Thailand Experience Explorer” and “Special Friend of Thailand-China Golden Jubilee” by the Thai side respectively. I hope it will help promote mutual understanding and emotional resonance among young people, with dynamic vitality enriching our friendship. China will continue enhancing cooperation with Thailand in areas such as youth, think tanks, universities, culture and tourism for our everlasting friendship for generations to come.
China-Thailand strategic cooperation is in line with the common pursuit of regional peace, stability and prosperity. China and Thailand share extensive common interests and similar views in international affairs. As the current co-chair of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation with Thailand, China will make every endeavor to make the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting a success in deepening regional cooperation and actively responding to challenges. The Thai side provides its support to the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. China is willing to work with Thailand to promote an equal and orderly multi-polar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. We are committed to providing more stability and certainty to the volatile regional and international situation.
Over the past 50 years of diplomatic ties, China-Thailand relations have been maintaining high level development, which is regarded as a glorious chapter in the history of our friendship and a model for harmonious coexistence and common development between nations. Looking ahead at a new historical starting point of China-Thailand relations, I am full of confidence. I will engage in in-depth exchanges and close communication with friends from all walks of life in Thailand to continuously consolidate traditional friendship, deepen practical cooperation, enhance people-to-people exchanges, and expand the breadth and depth of cooperation. Together, let’s embark on a new journey for the next upcoming 50 years with unremitting efforts for further building of a China-Thailand Community with a Shared Future. Together, let’s open up new prospects for the development of China-Thailand relations.
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