BANGKOK, Thailand – Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Justice Minister Pol. Col. Thawee Sodsong, along with senior government officials and media representatives, have arrived in China for a packed diplomatic mission, March 19. The delegation landed at Kashgar Airport, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where they were welcomed by Xu Datong, China’s Vice Minister of Public Security.
The Thai delegation’s first engagement was a meeting with Qi Yanjun, Deputy Secretary-General of the Communist Party and Vice Minister of Public Security. The discussions focused on China’s handling of repatriated individuals, particularly the 40 Uyghurs who were returned from Thailand on February 27.
In the afternoon, the Thai delegation split into two groups. One, led by Phumtham, and the other by Thawee, traveled separately to visit Uyghur individuals at their residences, located 100 to 300 kilometers from Kashgar. Senior Chinese officials accompanied both groups during these visits.
During the evening, the Thai delegation toured local villages and Id Kah Mosque, where they met with Islamic religious leaders. Later, they held a remote conference with Uyghur representatives and medical professionals overseeing the health conditions of repatriated Uyghurs.
Later on, the delegation convened with Ma Xingrui, a member of the Communist Party’s Central Political Bureau and Secretary of Xinjiang’s Communist Party. The discussions were followed by a formal reception at the Kashgar State Guesthouse. To conclude the day, the Chinese hosts took the Thai delegation on a cultural tour of Kashgar’s historic sites, highlighting the region’s heritage.
