China interested in Thailand Future Fund

BANGKOK, February 1 (TNA) - China is interested in investing in Thailand, especially in the Thailand Future Fund (TFF) and the Kingdom's 10 industrial clusters. Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong told journalists on Monday that he learned on the positive prospect when he led a Thai delegation to visit China during January 29-30, 2016. Apisak noted that China Investment Corporation (CIC), which was a national wealth fund and has invested about 740 billion US dollars worldwide, has expressed its interest in investing in TFF, as the Thai fund responds to its policy on investing in assets offering long-term and secure returns. Apisak said that he, thus, assigned Director of the State Enterprise Policy Office (SEPO) Dr. Ekniti Nitithanprapas to coordinate the issue directly with CIC. Apisak revealed that during his two-day visit to Beijing, his delegation also met representatives of China's leading state enterprises and companies and discussed investment promotion in Thailand, especially in 10 Thai industrial clusters the Thai government is actively supporting. According to the finance minister, Chinese investors expressed their interest in exploring additional investment opportunities in Thailand after learning the Thai government's investment promotion policies and privileges in 2016 and they paid special attention to the 10 Thai industrial clusters, as well as industrial estate development projects and the opening of regional operating headquarters. The finance minister pointed out that China's expanding investment will benefit the Thai economy and production in the long run, while also helping develop the Kingdom to become a trade and investment hub in the region in the future. The Thai finance minister acknowledged that the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) has shown its readiness to support China's expanding investment projects in Thailand. (TNA)