Deal for 5m tonnes of rice to China a year
Thailand will sell 5 million tonnes of rice annually to China under a government-to-government deal.
Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom will ink a memorandum of understanding with his Chinese counterpart next Wednesday, under which China agrees to import at least 5 million tonnes of rice per year from 2013-15 at prices based on the market when shipped.
The signing ceremony will be witnessed by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at Government House during his official visit. Wen will arrive in Bangkok on Tuesday.
A Government House source said the MoU would facilitate Thai exports of more than 300,000 tonnes of rice to China per year.
Both sides will focus on trade and investment and since Thailand is the liaison between Asean and China, it will try to ease the problems in the South China Sea, the source said.
They will consider some issues raised during Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s visit to China in April, including the supply of tablet computers to Thai students, railway cooperation, clean energy and water management.
The two countries agreed to increase two-way trade by 20 |per cent per year and annual investment by 15 per cent and tourism by 20 per cent within five years.
