Top Chinese envoy confident in NCPO's performance

BANGKOK, June 26 (TNA) - Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Ning Fukui has expressed his confidence that the Thai army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) will further boost Thai-Sino economic relations. Royal Thai Air Force Spokesman Air Marshal Monthol Satchukorn told journalists on Thursday morning that the Chinese top envoy voiced his positive attitude toward the Thai military junta during his meeting with an NCPO deputy chief, Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong, who is also Thai Air Force Chief, at the Royal Thai Air Force Headquarters in Bangkok on June 25. According to the spokesman, the Chinese Ambassador also expressed his understanding about Thailand's updated situation, acknowledging that the country's past situation seriously affected Thai-Sino economic relations, but the relations and confidence have been improving, thanks to the NCPO's economic stimulus measures having been implemented over the past month. Besides, the Chinese top envoy expected Thai-Sino economic cooperation would grow from now on, as Beijing would focus on investment and trade with Thailand to further boost bilateral business relations. The spokesman quoted the Chinese top envoy as saying that Thailand has potential to become a center of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and that Chinese investors will return to Thailand in the near future as both countries have had close connection for a long time. The spokesman stated that Air Chief Marshal Prajin, meanwhile, explained the NCPO's solutions to national problems and promised that the military junta will take good care of foreign visitors and foreign investors, inviting Chinese tourists to visit Thailand as usual.(TNA)