On 4 March 2024, Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) met with Vice Minister Puntil Jongjittrakoon of Commerce of Thailand in Bangkok.  

Secretary General Shi Zhongjun said that Thailand and China are good neighbors, good friends, good relatives and good partners. As Thailand and China have entered a "visa-free era" and both sides are dedicated to keeping abreast with the times and fostering new drivers of cooperation, the economic cooperation and trade between both countries are becoming increasingly mutually beneficial and enjoy brighter prospects. Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of Thailand-China diplomatic relations. The ACC stands ready to join hands with the Ministry to strengthen multifaceted cooperation, especially in the emerging industries such as green technologies, digital economy, low-carbon development and NEVs, thus better enhancing ASEAN-China cooperation through building effective platforms to tap more business opportunities and securing effective information and data sharing.

Vice Minister Puntil Jongjittrakoon expressed gratitude for the ACC’s sustained support to developing ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) while appreciating the ACC’s role in promoting trade and investment cooperation between ASEAN and China. He underlined that China has been Thailand’s largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years and a major source of investment. With the RCEP being fully implemented, Thailand looks forward to expanding its scope of cooperation into emerging industries with China and other ASEAN countries. Thailand also intends to explore more avenues for cooperation with the ACC through organizing trips to Thailand by the Chinese business influencers, promoting business opportunities in Thailand through the ACC’s online platforms, and putting up tailor-made commercial expos and fairs for business stakeholders from both Thailand and China as well as ASEAN and China.