Striving for excellence in a new chapter of China-Thailand relations

In China's diplomacy with neighboring countries, the friendly relations between China and Thailand have always sparkled. The many "firsts" created in this relationship has vividly demonstrated the special bond of "China and Thailand are as close as one family” as well as a firm belief of the two countries in working hand in hand for common development, bringing great benefits to the people, and setting a shining example of regional cooperation.

His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana will pay a historic state visit to China. In a spirit of pioneering resonated by the inspiration of the first-ever accomplishments jointly achieved in the bilateral relationship, China and Thailand will continue to inspire enthusiasm for deepening the friendship and practical cooperation.

I. Strategic Guidance: Setting a New Benchmark for Cooperation

Thailand was the first ASEAN country to engage in strategic cooperation with China as well as to establish a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China. Thanks to this visionary decision, China-Thailand relationship was elevated to an unprecedented height, which consolidated political foundation and promoted practical cooperation. From then on, high-level exchanges between China and Thailand became more frequent, strategic communication went more smoothly, and political mutual trust was strengthened. All contributed strong momentum into regional peace, stability and prosperity. In 2022, President Xi Jinping visited Thailand and attended the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. Both leaders reached important consensus on building a more prosperous, stable, and sustainable China-Thailand community with a shared future, ushering bilateral relations into a new era.

II. Win-Win Economic Cooperation: Forging a New Engine for Development

Thailand was the first ASEAN country to implement a free trade arrangement with China. In October 2003, China and Thailand implemented a zero-tariff arrangement for 188 types of vegetables and fruits ahead of schedule under the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation between China and ASEAN, significantly promoting the liberalization and facilitation of agricultural trade. Thailand is the country with the most varieties of fresh fruits granted access to China,with 23 types of fresh fruits approved for import, ranking first globally. China's agricultural imports from Thailand ranked first among ASEAN countries, with the total value reaching $11.6 billion in 2024. Thailand established the first wholly foreign-owned enterprise in China.Thailand's Charoen Pokphand Group established its presence in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, holding the approval document "Shen Wai Zi Zheng Zi (1981) No. 0001."in 1979.

Thailand hosts the largest overseas production capacity of Chinese new energy vehicles. Eight Chinese automakers, including SAIC and BYD, have invested in Thailand, with an annual production capacity of nearly 600,000 new energy vehicles and a total investment of over RMB 20 billion. Thailand is the first ASEAN country where China’s 5G technology has been fully implemented for commercial use. Thai telecommunications operators launched 5G mobile services to the public in 2020, with Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE as key partners . China is the largest source of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) tourists to Thailand, with 250,000 Chinese MICE visitors in 2024, ranking first with the proportion of 34% of the total.

III. Safeguarding Security: Maintaining Regional Peace and Stability

Thailand is the first country to conduct joint military exercises and training with China across all branches of the military, featuring the regular training and exercises of the“Strike”“Blue Strike”and “Falcon Strike”. Seven “Strike” joint exercises have been conducted since 2007. Thailand was the first ASEAN country where China stationed drug liaison officers and signing an extradition treaty with China.

IV. Scientific Innovation: Leading New Development Trends

Thailand is the first country to collaborate with China in building a VGOS radio telescope. In 2025, a 13-meter diameter Very Long Baseline Interferometry Global Observing System (VGOS) radio telescope, jointly developed by China and Thailand, was inaugurated in Chiang Mai. Thailand is the first country to receive a Chinese nuclear fusion experimental device (Tokamak). In 2017, the Chinese Academy of Sciences gifted the Tokamak device to the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology, marking the first such device in ASEAN.

Thailand is the first country to host an overseas exhibition of China’s lunar samples. In 2024, precious samples brought back from the moon by China’s Chang’e-5 mission were displayed in Thailand. China will be the first country to send a Thai research instrument into deep space, as the Chang’e-7 mission has selected Thailand’s “Space Weather Monitoring” device for deployment. Thailand is also the first Southeast Asian country to engage in polar cooperation with China, establishing a joint laboratory at a Chinese Antarctic research station, and the first Asian country visited by the Xuelong 2,China’s polar research icebreaker.

V. People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges: Cementing a New Foundation of Friendship

Thailand hosts the world’s longest-running, largest and highest-level celebrations of the Happy Chinese New Year with the most extensive participation. The Happy Chinese New Year, a flagship project of China-Thailand cultural cooperation, has been held in Thailand for years with great success. Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn attended the celebrations in Chinatown for many years in a row. The China Cultural Center in Bangkok is the first of its kind set up by China in Southeast Asia and the largest China Cultural Center in the world. China has been the largest source of tourists for Thailand.Chinese tourists to Thailand exceeded 10 million person-times in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Thailand is the first country to declare traditional Chinese medicine legal like China.

VI. Education: Passing on the Torch of Talent Cultivation

Thailand is home to the world’s first Confucius Classroom and the first Development Alliance of Confucius Institutes. In 2006, the Confucius Classroom at Bangkok's Traimit Wittayalai Secondary School was established in Thailand. Up to now, there are 17 Confucius Institutes and 11 Confucius Classrooms in Thailand, which have jointly set up the Development Alliance of Confucius Institutes (Classrooms) in Thailand. China and Thailand jointly built the world's first Luban Workshop, creating an integrated education model of “Chinese language + vocational skills” that has trained 1,804 Thai students so far. Thailand is one of the first countries to incorporate Chinese into its national education system, and it ranks first in the world in the number of Chinese exam takers. Since Chinese was included in foreign language education in 1992, over 3,000 schools in Thailand have offered Chinese courses. The scale of two-way student exchanges between China and Thailand ranks the top  of ASEAN countries, with over 30,000 students studying in each other's countries. Thailand hosts the largest number of international Chinese language teacher volunteers in the world. More than 20,000 volunteers in 23 groups have worked in Thailand. Thailand has the largest number of International Chinese Language Scholarship recipients as well.

Looking ahead, all these pioneering achievements are a testimony of the extraordinary journey of China-Thailand relations originated from steady growth to a great-leap forward development as visioned by our leaders and reflected the profound friendship between our peoples. As close partners building a community with a shared future, China is of full confidence that the successful visit  by His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshan to China will bring new vitality and vigor to our relations and an better future for our two peoples.