During his visit to Thailand on 3 to 4 March, Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) visited the MGR Online, the Thailand-China Business Council (TCBC) and the ASEAN-China Commerce Association (ACCA), where SG Shi had meetings with H.E. Phongthep Thepkanjana, former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand and Honorary President of ACCA, Chairman Vikrom Kromadit of TCBC, Secretary General Chula Sukmanop of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Office of Thailand, Governor Veeris Ammarapala of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand,and Director Varit Limthongkul of MGR Online. They exchanged views on ways to further promote ASEAN-China and Thailand-China practical cooperation in various fields.

Secretary General Shi Zhongjun spoke highly of the important role played by Thai business and media circles in promoting the growth of Thailand-China ties, which are hailed as “Thailand and China are as close as one family” and deepening ASEAN-China economic cooperation, trade, cultural and people-to-people exchanges. SG Shi briefed on the achievements by the ACC in its priority areas and stressed that ASEAN-China and Thailand-China relations have maintained a sound momentum of development. Thailand and other ASEAN Member States (AMS) have high demands and expectations for cooperation with China. The ACC stands ready to work with the Thai business community to continue to orient business opportunities between AMS and China, promote two-way investment, tap potential for cooperation in emerging industries, so as to jointly contribute to the building of a more stable, prosperous and sustainable Thailand-China community with a shared future, and enrich the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership. The ACC welcomes the MGR Online and other Thai media to participate in the flagship projects sponsored by the ACC, including the ASEAN-China Media Cooperation Forum, and the Familiarization Trip for ASEAN Media to Explore China, so that more publicity about Thailand and ASEAN could be exposed to the Chinese people and more stories on China could be made known to the Thai and ASEAN peoples.

H.E. Phongthep Thepkanjana and Mr. Vikrom Kromadit said that the Thailand-China economic, trade and investment cooperation enjoys a solid foundation, huge potential and broad prospects. Great achievements have been reaped in recent years. China’s investment in Thailand has continued to grow, playing an important role in promoting the post-pandemic economic recovery and boosting the development of emerging industries in Thailand. They all look forward to the ACC continuing to mobilize its resources to attract more Chinese enterprises to participate in the building of the EEC and other strategic projects, so as to better support the transformation and upgrading of the Thai economy. Mr. Varit Limthongkul said that the MGR Online has always been following China's development from an independent and objective perspective, and is willing to actively participate in and support various media exchanges and cooperation projects sponsored by the ACC, so as to open the window wider for the peoples of Thailand and ASEAN to have a deeper and better understanding of China.