On the afternoon of October 19, 2023, President Xi Jinping met at the Great Hall of the People with Prime Minister of Thailand Srettha Thavisin who is in China to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) and pay an official visit.
Xi Jinping pointed out the fact that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has made China the destination of his first official visit outside ASEAN fully demonstrates the great importance the new Thai government attaches to Thailand-China relations. China and Thailand are close neighbors, and their friendship has taken deep roots in the hearts of the two peoples. Xi said he is happy to see that the outcomes of his visit to Thailand last November are being actively and effectively implemented. China is ready to work with Thailand to add new dimensions to the “family-like relations” in the new era and turn the strengths of traditional friendship into momentum for win-win cooperation.
Xi Jinping stressed that China supports Thailand in following a development path suited to its national conditions. The two sides should continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns, strive to be pacesetters in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, speed up the construction of the China-Thailand Railway, expand cooperation in fields like the digital economy, green development and new energy, and strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges. The two sides should also intensify efforts to crack down on cross-border crimes such as wire fraud and online gambling to create a safe and secure environment for the development of the two countries. China is ready to strengthen cooperation with Thailand within multilateral frameworks like ASEAN, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, and the United Nations, and share with Thailand the opportunities presented by China’s vast market and high-standard opening up, so as to inject positive energy into Asia’s development, and make positive contributions to global governance reform.
Srettha Thavisin extended congratulations on the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative and the successful holding of the third BRF. He said he sincerely admires President Xi Jinping’s vision and China’s achievements in poverty reduction, and would like to learn from China’s governance experience. Thailand will follow through on the important outcomes of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Thailand last November and work with China to build a Thailand-China community with a shared future for enhanced stability, prosperity and sustainability. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. Thailand respects China’s core interests and firmly abides by the one-China principle. Srettha Thavisin expressed his hope that the two sides will deepen practical cooperation in various fields, jointly build the Thailand-China Railway, and advance the implementation of the China-Laos-Thailand Connectivity Development Corridor Outlook. Thailand will spare no effort to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens in Thailand, and welcomes more Chinese companies and tourists to the country for investment and sightseeing.
The two sides released a Joint Press Communiqué between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand.
Cai Qi and Wang Yi were present at the meeting.
