BANGKOK – On a regional diplomatic tour aimed at deepening bilateral ties across Southeast Asia, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held official talks with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul in Bangkok on Friday, centered on elevating the long-standing strategic partnership between the two nations and expanding cross-sector collaboration.
Following the closed-door meeting, Thai government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek confirmed that the two leaders reached a clear consensus to strengthen joint action against transnational criminal networks, with a specific focus on combating cyberscams, alongside advancing cooperation in other key priority areas. In the meeting, Anutin expressed sincere gratitude to Beijing for its consistent support of Thailand amid regional and global challenges, while Wang extended congratulations to the prime minister on retaining his cabinet position following Thailand’s recent general election. Wang also underscored his firm confidence that the Thailand-China relationship will continue to gain momentum and deepen in the coming years, according to the spokesperson.
The meeting kicked off with a formal greeting at Bangkok’s Government House, where the two leaders shook hands and posed for official photos before entering discussions. Ahead of his talks with Anutin, Wang had already held productive working sessions with his Thai counterpart, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, government officials confirmed.
Wang’s three-day visit to Thailand began Thursday, coming directly after a series of high-level meetings with Cambodian government officials in Phnom Penh. That stop focused on strengthening political and security cooperation between China and Cambodia, wrapping up successfully before Wang traveled onward to Thailand. Per the official schedule released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Myanmar will be the next stop on Wang’s Southeast Asian diplomatic tour after he concludes his engagements in Thailand.
The diplomatic engagement builds on a deepening foundation of ties between Beijing and Bangkok: China has held the position of Thailand’s largest trading partner for years, and the two nations marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations in 2023, a milestone that included an unprecedented historic visit to China by Thailand’s reigning monarch, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, last November. In recent years, Chinese direct investment into Thailand has also grown at an accelerated pace, a trend partially driven by a broader shift of Chinese manufacturing operations into Southeast Asia as companies seek to mitigate the impact of United States tariffs on Chinese-made goods.