BANGKOK, 3 April 2015 – The Communist Party Chief of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China has discussed trade cooperation with the Thai Minister of Commerce, setting a target to increase trade value twofold in the next three years.
Mr Peng Qinghua, Secretary of the Communist Party Committee of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, has paid a courtesy call on Thai Commerce Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikalya during his official visit to Thailand. The officials took this opportunity to discuss trade and investment cooperation as well as development of industrial estates in the cities of Chongzuo and Yulin.
The Guangxi Communist Party Chief also requested Thailand’s support for a logistics network project under the Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic Cooperation which will be beneficial for the enhancement of basic infrastructure and regional connectivity. In exchange, the Thai Commerce Minister asked for a special privilege of being able to ship Thai produce to China by sea, rather than by land which is more costly.
On this occasion, both agreed to a proposal that the trade value between Thailand and Guangxi should be doubled within three years’ time. In 2013, bilateral trade was worth to the tune of 491 million US dollars, increasing 61 percent from the year before. Thailand exported 285 million dollars’ worth of goods to Guangxi, whereas imports from the region were valued at 206 million dollars.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Thai-Sino diplomatic relations, the Commerce Ministry has accepted Guangxi’s invitation to display Thai products at the 12th China-ASEAN Expo, which is to be organized in its capital Nanning during September 18-21 this year.
