Senior Chinese diplomat meets Thai Princess Sirindhorn

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, in Bangkok, Thailand, Jan. 28, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

BANGKOK -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Sunday met here with Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand.

Wang said he met with Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara on Sunday for the annual consultation, in which both sides reached important consensus on deepening the China-Thailand community with a shared future.

The two sides also signed an agreement on mutual visa exemption, which would further facilitate people-to-people exchanges, Wang said, adding that China and Thailand are as close as one family, and more exchanges will bring the two countries even closer.

Wang said he hopes the royal family of Thailand, which has always attached great importance to the friendship between China and Thailand, will continue to make new contributions to the development of China-Thailand friendship under the new circumstances.

Princess Sirindhorn is Chinese people's good and old friend, Wang said, adding that she has been awarded the Medal of Friendship and visited China more than 50 times, facilitating deeper mutual understanding between the two peoples. The Chinese foreign minister said Princess Sirindhorn is a symbol of China-Thai friendship.

Noting that the two countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations next year, Wang said China stands ready to maintain high-level exchanges with the Thai side, carry out closer people-to-people exchanges, and take the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries to a new level.

For her part, Sirindhorn said that she has cherished the friendship with China, often presenting the Medal of Friendship to her students. She hoped the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries will be strengthened in the fields of education, traditional medicine, science and technology, and aerospace.

The princess added that she is looking forward to visiting more places in China in the future.

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, in Bangkok, Thailand, Jan. 28, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]