Chinese FM meets visiting Thai Princess Sirindhorn

BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday met with Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.

Wang extended welcome to Princess Sirindhorn for coming to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, saying that China highly appreciates the Thai royal family's consistent adherence to a friendly policy, and is willing to work with Thailand to enhance and deepen China-Thailand relations.

Princess Sirindhorn expressed gratitude for China's strong support for Thailand's fight against COVID-19, and spoke highly of the exchanges and cooperation between Thailand and China in various fields.

Sirindhorn said she had visited China nearly 50 times and told Wang about her plan to publish books in Thailand on the history and achievements of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and to visit more places across China.

"In the face of the pandemic, China and Thailand have stood together to overcome difficulties," Wang said, noting that China was the first country to provide vaccines to Thailand and is also the largest source of vaccines for Thailand.

He said that China is committed to making vaccines a global public good and has already provided over 2.1 billion doses to other countries, especially developing countries. "One out of every two doses of the vaccines currently used worldwide comes from China," he added.

China will continue to provide support to Thailand in line with its needs until the pandemic is defeated, Wang said.

Wang appreciated the princess' intention to compile and publish books on the CPC and China's new development achievements.

The two sides agreed to continue to strengthen practical cooperation on education and culture, youth exchanges, traditional medicine, scientific and technological innovation, and other fields, continuously injecting impetus into bilateral relations.