Thailand, China to mark 50 years of ties with high-level visits
The celebrations include a special exhibit of the Sacred Buddha Relics and cultural exchanges, including a promise to tackle the scourge of call-centre gangs
Thailand and China will mark the 50th year of their bilateral ties this year through a series of high-level exchanges, including visits at various levels, the Chinese ambassador to Thailand said.
In an interview with Nation Group on Monday, Ambassador Han Zhiqiang revealed that Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang is scheduled to visit Thailand later this year following a visit to Beijing by his Thai counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra next month.
Han said Li Qiang’s visit will coincide with the 5th Mekong-Lacang Cooperation (MLC) Leaders’ Meeting, which Thailand will host this year. The exact date for the event has not been officially confirmed.
In addition to official visits, Han said that cultural representatives from several provinces of China will be visiting Thailand throughout the year. He highlighted that over 40,000 Chinese businessmen and students currently reside in Thailand, many of whom are excited to take part in the anniversary celebrations.
The ambassador noted that bilateral ties have strengthened significantly over the past decade, particularly with the increase in people-to-people exchanges. For example, in 2019, more than 10 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand.
Han also acknowledged growing trade and investment cooperation between the two nations.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, the Chinese government sent the Sacred Relic of the Buddha (tooth) from Lingguang Temple in Beijing last month to be displayed in Bangkok until February 14.
Additionally, he said, the Chinese government was also cooperating with Thailand to combat call-centre gangs, which have caused significant harm to people in both countries as well as in Laos and Myanmar.
Han said he has recently discussed the issue with officials from China’s Ministry of Public Security, who are prioritising the suppression of these criminal activities.
On the topic of trade, Han acknowledged that the influx of cheap goods from China had impacted some Thai small and medium-sized enterprises. However, he explained that the majority of goods imported from China are raw materials or semi-finished products that benefit Thai manufacturers, accounting for 80% of the total imports. Only 10% are consumer goods, he said.
Hence, he said, if the media promoted a boycott of Chinese products, it could harm Thailand’s economy as it would also suffer from the disruption of its supply chains. He also mentioned that Thailand faced a trade deficit of US$20 billion (690.19 billion baht) with China last year, with exports to China valued at $50 billion and imports $70 billion.
