BEIJING, China – Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra of Thailand, on an official visit to the People’s Republic of China, had a courtesy meeting with President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The visit comes at a significant time as Thailand and China celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Srettha extended New Year greetings and expressed his honor and pleasure in visiting China in 2025, marking this milestone year in Thai-Chinese relations. He emphasized that China has been Thailand’s most important economic partner for over a decade, remaining the country’s top trading partner for 12 consecutive years, with investments from China exceeding USD 100 billion. Prime Minister Paetongtarn reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to continuing this partnership, stressing the importance of strengthening bilateral relations for the future, particularly in areas of trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges.
President Xi Jinping responded warmly, highlighting Thailand’s central role in China’s relations with its neighbors and reaffirming China’s support for Thailand’s economic development. He praised Thailand’s role in regional and global affairs, encouraging further collaboration between the two nations to bring practical results in the future. The 50th anniversary of Thailand-China diplomatic ties, according to President Xi, marks a golden year for the friendship between the two nations, with a renewed focus on cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, technology, and people-to-people exchanges.
Both leaders expressed their shared vision for enhancing their cooperation at both the bilateral and regional levels, strengthening mutual support to achieve greater stability and prosperity. They emphasized the importance of fostering closer ties between the two countries for the benefit of both nations and the broader Asia-Pacific region. (TNA)
