Phumtham visits Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, to negotiate bilateral trade
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has asked the governor of Xishuangbanna, an autonomous prefecture in southwestern China’s Yunnan province, to increase its quota for fruit shipments from Thailand and allow import of live cows.
Phumtham, on an official visit to Xishuangbanna from Saturday to Monday, met with its governor, Dao Wen, at the Mekong River Jing Land Hotel to hold a talks on bilateral trade.
After the meeting, Phumtham told reporters that he asked Wen to consider increasing shipping quotas for Thai fruits on board Chinese boats on the Mekong River as requested by Thai fruit exporters.
Phumtham said he also informed Wen that Thailand would like to export live cows to China, and so asked the Xishuangbanna governor to help negotiate with the General Administration of Customs to set up a quarantine zone for animal imports from Thailand at the Guanlei Port in Yunnan.
Phumtham said the cows would be slaughtered in the quarantine zone so that meat could be distributed in China with convenience.
In return, Dao Wen asked Phumtham to support his call for the Thai government to allow direct flights from Xishuangbanna to Bangkok.
Currently, there are only direct flights from Xishuangbanna to Chang Mai once a week. Dao said if another route were allowed, it would boost tourism and trade between Thailand and Xishuangbanna.
Phumtham said he promised to raise the issue with the Cabinet on his return to Thailand.
He said he would later visit the Mohan Railway Station Port in China and Boten border checkpoint in Laos to negotiate for longer customs-clearance hours to facilitate fruit imports from Thailand.
