Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, stressing the need to deepen cooperation between China and Thailand as global uncertainties continue to rise.
Shinawatra is visiting China for the first time since she took office in August 2024, and the visit comes at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.
The meeting in Beijing occurs against the backdrop of increasing trade tensions, particularly as the United States, under President Donald Trump, announced a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods. In response, China has indicated plans to impose retaliatory tariffs on American products.
During their talks, Xi underscored the current projects with the high-speed railway linking Bangkok to Kunming in southwestern China. He also pointed out the digital economy and electric vehicles as new fields for further cooperation. “In the face of unprecedented changes not seen for a century, China and Thailand should deepen mutual trust regarding strategic interests and firmly support each other,” state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) quoted Xi.
With such trends, Thailand has its work cut out by way of strengthening the safety issue within its strategic tourism industry. In this aspect, it would want to assuage concerns regarding Chinese visitors, who currently represent the country’s largest market. Prime Minister Shinawatra stated that keeping tourists safe remains a priority, noting that plans are in the pipeline for an cooperative warning system to curb criminal activities. “Thailand is prepared to collaborate with China in terms of crime flows passing through Thailand,” she said.
Trade tensions between the US and China persist, with Trump being almost unmindful of the need to contact Xi to de-escalate the situation. When China reacted to its own retaliatory tariffs, Trump shrugged his shoulders and was quoted to say, “That’s fine.” Confrontations between Xi and Trump, like those between Jinping and either the Mexican leader or the Canadian prime minister, are likely to be crucial for relief from or possible delay in tariffs.
China’s Foreign Ministry justified these retaliatory moves and said: “The measure China took to protect its own rights and legitimate interests is essential. No winner would be on either side if it is called a trade war or a tariff war.”
