Chinese Business People Urged to Invest More in Thailand

Wen Jiabao

Thailand and China have agreed to increase investment between the two countries by 15 percent in the next five years. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has urged Chinese business people to invest more in Thailand.

The Prime Minister discussed bilateral trade and investment cooperation with her Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao during her three-day visit to China from 17 to 19 April 2012.

Both sides agreed to increase the bilateral trade target by 20 percent annually and the number of tourists by 20 percent in five years’ time. Prime Minister Yingluck would like Chinese investors to expand their investment in Thailand, especially in the production of rubber, automotive parts, machinery, and electronics, and also in environment-friendly industries and renewable energy.

Yingluck Shinawatra

She proposed that China set up a coordinating center to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) wishing to invest in China on a full-cycle basis in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, which is China’s gateway to ASEAN. Prime Minister Yingluck called on China to allow the Tourism Authority of Thailand to set up a tourism office in Guangzhou to facilitate the travel to Thailand by Chinese tourists.

She stated that Thailand would like to strengthen relations with each province in China. Toward this aim, it wants to set up a Thai- Sichuan working group, in addition to the working groups already established with Yunnan, Guangdong, and Xiamen. The Prime Minister attached importance to educational and cultural cooperation, saying that she agreed to the proposal by Chinese Vice President Xi Jingping calling for the exchange of 100 students. She was informed that many Chinese students are interested in studying the Thai language, while an increasing number of Thai students would like to learn Chinese.



R3A Highway

In this regard, the Prime Minister asked the Chinese government to encourage the teaching and learning of the Thai language in China. She also urged the Chinese government to send more teaching volunteers to teach Chinese in Thailand. In this connection, the Chinese Prime Minister agreed to respond to the request.

Regarding transportation links, Prime Minister Yingluck said that China had played a vital role in the opening of the R3A highway, linking Kunming in Yunnan with Chiang Khong in northern Thailand, passing through Laos. She urged China to accelerate the construction of the fourth bridge across the Mekong River, linking Chiang Khong in Thailand with Huay Xai in Laos. The bridge will facilitate the travel of people and contribute to the formation of the ASEAN Community in the near future.

Both sides also discussed the acquisition of computer tablets from China, and investments in high-speed rail lines, clean energy, and water management. They agreed to join hands in developing the Dawei deep-seaport and industrial estate project in Myanmar and to enhance their cooperation in strengthening the ASEAN region as a whole.