China, Thailand FMs hold annual consultation to strengthen bilateral ties

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara for an annual consultation in Bangkok, Thailand, Jan. 28, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

BANGKOK -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara here on Sunday for the annual consultation.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China and Thailand are one family. As next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand, both countries face new opportunities and should take new actions in their respective modernization developments and in building a China-Thailand community with a shared future.

China is willing to focus on building a more stable, prosperous and sustainable China-Thailand community with a shared future, strengthen pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and constantly add new dimensions to the bilateral relations, Wang said.

Wang said China is willing to join hands with Thailand and other emerging developing countries to strengthen unity and cooperation to serve respective developments, and provide more stability and certainty to the turbulent world.

China and Thailand should further strengthen high-level exchanges, said the Chinese diplomat, adding that the two countries should jointly plan the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

Wang noted that both sides should actively promote high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, speed up the China-Thailand Railway construction, and fully implement the China-Laos-Thailand Connectivity Development Corridor Outlook.

According to Wang, China and Thailand should make good use of the important agreement of mutual visa exemption to facilitate closer people-to-people exchanges, strengthen law enforcement cooperation and take concrete measures to ensure the safety of tourists from both countries. He said the two countries should also jointly combat transnational crimes such as online gambling and electronic fraud to safeguard the security and stability of the region.

For his part, Parnpree said Thailand attaches great importance to the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Thailand and China as well as strengthening friendly cooperation with China, as it not only aligns with the common interests of both countries but is also crucial for world peace and stability. Thailand firmly adheres to the one-China principle and does not engage in any official exchanges with the Taiwan authorities.

The development of Thailand-China relations reflects the deep mutual trust and the consistent support for each other in times of adversity, said Parnpree, adding that Thailand highly appreciates China's contribution to maintaining world stability and promoting global economic recovery as a responsible major country.

Thailand is willing to strengthen coordination with China on international and regional issues, engage in substantive cooperation in implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, engage in Belt and Road cooperation, uphold multilateralism, oppose decoupling, and keep production and supply chain stable.

Following the consultations, the two officials signed an agreement on mutual visa exemption. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara for an annual consultation in Bangkok, Thailand, Jan. 28, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]