Thailand's EEC, a bridge of regional economic cooperation

BANGKOK, May 31 (TNA) - The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) in the Thai East now apparently represents a bridge of regional economic cooperation, starting from a tripartite cooperation between China, Japan and Thailand. Speaking at a business seminar on "China–Japan Cooperation on the Eastern Economic Corridor of Thailand", jointly organized by the Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand (EECO) and the Chinese and the Japanese Embassies to Thailand in Bangkok on Thursday, visiting Vice Chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission Ning Jizhe said he believed that Thailand's EEC Project would become a major driving force of industrial development and economic growth in the region in the future. Ning expressed his appreciation to the tripartite cooperation, jointly emphasized by the Chinese, the Japanese and the Thai governments, proposing that relevant government agencies in Beijing, Tokyo and Bangkok work together more closely on joint plans and facilitations for private firms of the three allied countries. Ning also pointed out that Sino-Thai bilateral ties and cooperation have kept expanding since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Beijing and Bangkok over the past four decades, covering those in economic issues, trade, science and technology, culture exchanges and people to people's relations. Japanese Ambassador to Thailand Shiro Sadoshima pledged, meanwhile, that Tokyo will continue to promote and support business activities of Japanese private firms in Thailand, including those in the EEC Project, along with rendering support for cooperation between Japanese private firms and their Chinese and Thai counterparts. The Japanese top envoy acknowledged that more than 5,000 Japanese private firms have run their businesses in Thailand over the past three decades, covering new plans in the EEC. (TNA)