Xi meets Thai PM, pledging to add new dimensions to family-like bilateral relations

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who is in Beijing for the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and an official visit, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who is in Beijing for the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and an official visit.

Srettha made China the first country outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for an official visit, which fully reflects the great importance that the new government of Thailand attaches to bilateral relations, Xi said.

China stands ready to work with Thailand to continuously add new dimensions to their family-like relations, and transform advantages of the traditional friendship into a driving force for win-win cooperation, Xi said.

He said that the two sides should speed up construction of the China-Thailand railway, expand cooperation in fields including digital economy, green development and new energy, and step up efforts to crack down on cross-border crimes such as telecom fraud and online gambling to create a safe environment for the development of the two countries.

Xi said China is willing to share opportunities in China's vast market and high-level opening-up to inject positive energy into Asia's development.

Srettha noted that Thailand will work with China to build a more stable, prosperous and sustainable Thailand-China community with a shared future.

He said Thailand will do its utmost to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens in Thailand, and welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest and more Chinese citizens to visit Thailand.

Senior Chinese leaders including Cai Qi and Wang Yi were present at the meeting.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who is in Beijing for the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and an official visit, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)