Thailand, China to cooperate on special economic zones

BEIJING, Oct 10 (TNA) -- Thailand and China are preparing to strengthen cooperation on investment in special economic zones, said Thai Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai. Mr Don is now paying an official visit to China said in Beijing while he is attending a reception to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Thailand-China diplomatic relations that the two countries are close neighbours while their peoples are like those in the same family. High-ranking officials of the two countries exchange visits on a regular basis while economic cooperation has been constantly developed, said Mr Don. In 2012, Thailand and China elevated their bilateral relations to a strategic comprehensive cooperative partnership. Last year, value of the two-way trade totaled over 63 billion US dollars with investments are on the increase while Chinese investment in Thailand amounted to 33 billion baht, or 10 per cent of Thailand’s total FDI. More than 4.8 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand during the first seven months of this year, making the China the number one inbound country and that number is expected to rise this year, said Mr Don. He added that the Thai and the Chinese governments would strengthen cooperation in their special economic zones before embarking in other areas. Mr Don met Yan Junqi, vice chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, on bilateral relations before attending the reception. (TNA)