China and Thailand: At a New Starting Point, Stride on a New Journey
On the Occasion of the 105th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China and the 51st Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and Thailand
July 1, 2026 marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 51st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand.
Over the past 105 years of trials and hardships, the Communist Party of China has led the Chinese people in achieving a great leap from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong, and has brought about two miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability. In particular, since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has historically eradicated absolute poverty, comprehensively entered a stage of high-quality development, and steadily maintained its position as the world’s second largest economy. Its international influence has been significantly enhanced, deeply interconnected and mutually reinforcing with the rest of the world, continuously creating broad development opportunities for Thailand and other countries across the globe.
The Communist Party of China has always pursued an independent foreign policy of peace. It is dedicated to pursuing happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation and human progress and world harmony. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, China is committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind, actively implements the four major global initiatives, and advocates a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation. China is unwavering in its role as a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of the international order, and a provider of public goods. It has always been a trustworthy and reliable partner for Thailand.
Concerted efforts over the past 51 years have yielded fruitful results. No matter how the international landscape has evolved, China and Thailand have always stood together and forged ahead side by side. The two countries respect each other’s development paths and firmly support each other in safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests. Our mutually beneficial cooperation has yielded remarkable results. Bilateral trade volume has increased by more than 6,000 times compared with the early days of diplomatic relations. China has been Thailand’s largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years, and is also Thailand’s largest export market for agricultural products, a major source of investment, and a leading source of tourists. The two countries have also maintained close coordination on regional and international affairs, jointly promoting peace and development, and have worked together to address risks and challenges, making themselves important forces in the Global South.
In 2025, China and Thailand celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn paid a historic visit to China. President Xi Jinping and His Majesty reached important new consensus on deepening the China-Thailand community with a shared future. Under the leadership and guidance of the two heads of state, China-Thailand relations have demonstrated robust vitality.
In particular, since the beginning of this year, our cooperation in future-oriented industries has gained strong growth momentum. For the first time, China’s humanoid robot industrial chain has made a large-scale layout in Thailand, and a number of leading printed circuit board companies have expanded their investment in Thailand, helping to boost the country’s transformation towards innovation, sustainability, and smart manufacturing. People-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two sides have remained vibrant. As of June 20 this year, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand reached 2.54 million, up by nearly 19 percent year-on-year, ranking first among all foreign tourist sources. Meanwhile, the number of Thai tourists traveling to China has repeatedly hit new highs. Artificial intelligence, smart education, deep-space exploration, and aviation and aerospace have become new growth areas for bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation, contributing to the modernization drive of both countries and delivering tangible benefits to our peoples.
This year marks the first year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and the starting point of the new “Golden 50 years” of China-Thailand relations. Under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, China will continue to pursue the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness in its neighborhood diplomacy, and empower the region and the wider world with high-quality development and high-standard opening-up. At this new historical starting point, China stands ready to work with Thailand to further align our development strategies, carry forward traditional friendship, and deepen pragmatic cooperation, so that the fruits of development will benefit our peoples more broadly. We will jointly promote regional peace and prosperity, write a new chapter in the China-Thailand community with a shared future, and embark on a new journey of modernization for both countries.
