On 1 September 2017, the International Conference on Belt and Road & Greater Mekong Sub-region Cooperation was held in northern Thailand city Chiang Mai. The conference was co-organized by the Consulate-General of China in Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai University and Mae Fah Luang University with the theme “Lancang Jiang-Mekong River: Rising Smart Corridor”. More than 300 government officials, representatives of business community, scholars and researchers from China and Thailand attended the conference. H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) attended the conference.

H.E. Mr. Ren Yisheng, Consul General of China in Chiang Mai, Prof. Emeritus Avudh Srisukri, Acting President of Chiang Mai University, Prof. Romyen Kosaikanont, Vice President of Mae Fah Luang University respectively gave their welcome speeches. Mr. Ren Yisheng stated that northern Thailand maintains close exchanges and cooperation with China and has great potential in areas such as tourism, energy, infrastructure, agriculture for further cooperation. In 2016, nearly 9 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand, among whom 1.5 million visited Chiang Mai. People from all walks of life in northern Thailand highly value and hope to embark on the express train of the Belt and Road Initiative and build Chiang Mai into a regional hub that radiates through northern Thailand and even ASEAN. Mr. Ren hoped all participants could have free and in-depth exchange of views so as to contribute wisdom and make creative and feasible suggestions and proposals on the building of the Belt and Road and the Greater Mekong Sub-region cooperation. Prof. Emeritus Avudh Srisukri and Prof. Romyen Kosaikanont expressed that the Belt and Road initiative had explored comprehensive and new vision in promoting Thailand-China as well as regional cooperation. Thailand actively supported and participated the building of the Belt and Road, and hoped, through the conference, to further deepen mutual understanding between the two sides and realize common development of mutual benefits.

H.E. Mr. Cheng Lianyuan, Member of the Standing Committee of CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee, Secretary of the CPC Kunming Municipal Committee, Mr. Vitavas Srivihok, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand delivered keynote speeches. Mr. Cheng Lianyuan presented the social and economic development of Yunnan province including Kunming city and their fruitful cooperation achievements with ASEAN countries especially with Thailand. He stated that Lancang-Mekong Cooperation is a new type of sub-regional cooperation mechanism based on the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits and has become an important platform of the building of the Belt and Road. Yunnan province and Kunming city are ready to work with Mekong countries to build the LMC Corridor into a corridor of economic and trade development, a corridor of cooperation and growth and a corridor of cultural exchanges, and inject new driving force into China-ASEAN cooperation. The two sides should speed up infrastructural connectivity and construct a multi-modal matrix; promote rapid growth of economic and trade relations, foster a new trade landscape in which the advantages and competitiveness of each side is fully leveraged for win-win results; deepen industrial cooperation and realize integrated development of the whole industrial chain; boost cooperation in scientific and technological innovation, strive for sustained improvement of people’s livelihood, collaborate to innovate and establish systems and mechanisms for practical cooperation and raise the mutually beneficial partnership to a higher level.

Mr. Vitavas Srivihok indicated that the building of the Belt and Road has become a major platform and mechanism in promoting regional cooperation. It is the largest connectivity programme which brings new opportunities for the development of regional countries. Thailand has always actively supported and participated in regional economic cooperation and has close relations with regional countries especially emerging markets. It has also played an important role in the LMC. Thailand now is constructing the East Economic Corridor and promoting Thailand 4.0 Strategy, which are all highly compatible with the Belt and Road Initiative. Thailand is ready to join hands with China and take connectivity as a development priority, deepen bilateral practical cooperation and make fresh and more contribution to regional economic integration.