On 15 March 2018, twenty three trainees for 2018 Seminar on China-Thailand Business Culture Integration visited ASEAN-China Centre (ACC). The Thai delegates visited the exhibition hall and interacted with ACC officials.

Ms. Li Sa, trade and investment officer from Trade and Investment Division (TID) of ACC, warmly welcomed the delegation on behalf of ACC. She gave an overview of ACC’s mandate, recent work and future plans and interacted with the delegation on Thailand-China economic and trade cooperation. She said that in recent years, China-Thailand practical cooperation in various areas has made positive progress and bilateral trade has kept increasing. According to the statistics of the Chinese side, bilateral trade volume reached USD 80.3 billion in 2017 with a year-on-year increase of 6%. China has remained the largest trading partner of Thailand. Bilateral investment has been rising steadily. By the end of 2017, China’s accumulated foreign direct investment to Thailand reached USD 5 billion. China had become Thailand’s third largest source of foreign investment, and Thailand a favourable investment destination of the Chinese enterprises in e-commerce, technology innovation, logistics and other emerging industries. Infrastructure connectivity cooperation has made breakthroughs. The project of China-Thailand hi-speed railway Phase I, a flagship programme of the two countries under the Belt and Road Initiative, broke ground in December 2017. Besides, bilateral cooperation in practical areas, namely, technology innovation, tourism, finance, etc. has made enormous strides. ACC is ready to enhance communication with various communities of Thailand to work together to make more achievements in Thailand-China and ASEAN-China friendly cooperation.

The Thai delegation extended gratitude to ACC for its hospitality and spoke highly of the role played by ACC in promoting Thailand-China practical cooperation. They expressed that they would fulfill their duties after going back to Thailand and play active roles for the Thailand-China friendship.