Xi calls for accelerating China-Thailand Railway construction, expanding cooperation in emerging fields with Thailand

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on the sidelines of the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima, Peru, Nov. 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

China and Thailand should accelerate the construction of the China-Thailand Railway and expand cooperation in emerging fields such as new energy, digital economy and artificial intelligence, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday.

He made the remarks when meeting with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on the sidelines of the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.

China and Thailand are close and friendly neighbors, with the concept of "China and Thailand as one family" standing the test of time and gaining renewed vitality, said Xi.

He recalled his visit to Thailand in November 2022, during which he reached important consensus with Thai leaders on building a China-Thailand community with a shared future.

It was a delight to see the outcomes of the visit being effectively implemented, with bilateral cooperation making positive progress across various fields and bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples, he said.

Noting that next year marks the 50th anniversary of China-Thailand diplomatic relations as well as the Golden Year of Friendship between the two countries, Xi said China stands ready to work with Thailand to carry forward the traditional friendship, strengthen the alignment of development strategies, deepen exchanges on governance experience, advance mutually beneficial cooperation across various fields, support the modernization of both countries and push forward the building of a China-Thailand community with a shared future.

Xi called on the two countries to enhance cultural, educational, and youth exchanges, organize such events as the enshrinement of the Buddha tooth relic in Thailand, deepen the bond between the two peoples, and pass on the China-Thailand friendship from generation to generation.

China is also willing to strengthen coordination and communication with Thailand within multilateral mechanisms such as the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, ASEAN, BRICS, and APEC, to safeguard the unity and cooperation of ASEAN and regional nations and contribute to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity, said Xi.

For her part, Paetongtarn said the world and the region are currently witnessing increasing turmoil, and the series of global initiatives put forward by China are strategically forward-looking and conducive to strengthening international solidarity and cooperation.

Regarding China as a good friend and good partner, Thailand admires China's remarkable achievements in areas like poverty alleviation, and looks forward to taking the upcoming 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the Golden Year of Friendship as an opportunity to enhance high-level exchanges with China, with the aim of jointly charting an even brighter future for Thailand-China relations in the next 50 years, said Paetongtarn.

Thailand hopes to learn from China's successful development experiences, advance cooperation on the Thailand-China Railway and other Belt and Road cooperation projects, strengthen cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and deepen traditional friendship, she said.

Paetongtarn also said that Thailand stands ready to strengthen collaboration with China within multilateral frameworks such as APEC and jointly safeguard the free trade system.