China, Thailand pledge closer relationship

[webfact]

China, Thailand pledge closer relationship
By Digital Content


Chinese Premier Li Keqiang ® shakes hands with visiting Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha before their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 22, 2014. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

BEIJING, Dec 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang held talks with his Thai counterpart Prayut Chan-o-cha here on Monday and they pledged to further boost the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

It was the second meeting between Li and Prayut in three days. On Friday, they met in Bangkok and witnessed the signing of agriculture and railway deals. Li was attending the fifth summit of the Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation.

China will work with Thailand to prepare for the launch of a railway project as soon as possible, Li said on Monday when talking to the visiting Thai Prime Minister at the Great Hall of the People.

As 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Thailand, Li said he hopes the two sides will cement their traditional friendship and boost cooperation in pursuit of win-win reciprocity and improve the comprehensive strategic partnership, highlighting the target of increasing bilateral trade to 100 billion U.S. dollars by 2015.

Li looked forward to more use of the Chinese yuan and the Thai baht in trade and investment settlement, as well as more technology cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. The two sides have set a target of increasing travellers to five million between the two countries by 2016.

Li hopes the Thai side will support and facilitate Chinese participation in the exploitation of kalium resources in Thailand.

He stressed that China regards the ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy and welcomes the ASEAN push to transform the ten-country bloc into a community.

Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The 10-country bloc set Dec. 31, 2015 for the realization of the ASEAN Economic Community, a region of free flows of goods, services, skilled labor, capital and investment.

Hailing Thailand's role in promoting the China-ASEAN relationship, Li said China is willing to work together with Thailand regarding the signing of a China-ASEAN treaty for friendly cooperation, the upgrading of the current China-ASEAN free trade zone as well as boosting maritime cooperation.

For his part, Prayut said Thailand is committed to elevating the bilateral relationship and stands ready to implement the deals with China on railway cooperation and farm produce trade, and boost trade, investment and financial cooperation as well as people-to-people exchanges to benefit the people of the two countries.

The Thai side welcomes Chinese enterprises to set up factories in Thailand, he said.

Prayut said China plays an important part in promoting peace, stability and development in the region and that Thailand will cooperate closely with China to step up the ASEAN-China ties as well as regional cooperation.

Before the talks, Li held a red-carpet ceremony to welcome the Thai Prime Minister.

After the talks, they witnessed a currency swap deal and three other cooperation documents.

Prayut arrived in Beijing on Monday to make a two-day visit to China. (Xinhua)


-- TNA 2014-12-23

[Godfree2]

His unelected Thai counterpart...

[JOC]

The protectorate moving closer to the Motherland!!

Nothing like true love.

[gemini81]

Similarities are striking.

[chainarong]

Hold your enemy close but hold your friends even closer P.M. Praut Chan - o - cha

[MaxLee]

China, Thailand pledge closer relationship

They were never apart, as the Elite from many many years ago emerged FROM the Mainland China into Siam.....

[paddyjenkins]

Funny how once the military took over the doors to China swung open wide, almost like both sides were waiting for it to happen. Makes me wonder who was funding the protests that precipitated the coup, a coup that was legitimized by the protests and with political obstacles out of the way nothing would then prevent a full scale economic colonization. Yes, and funny how at the exact same moment we saw cold shouldering of Japan and the West. Funny, that's all I'm saying. Soon we will see later scale manufacturing by China in Thailand (and the Japanese will be coerced to shut up shop, but by bit) as well as exploitation of commodity and agricultural resources, increased military cooperation leading to a Chinese base, pressure on the US to close its base and end its military cooperation, the closure of labour intensive tourist businesses frequented largely by Westerners, in order to free up and demobilize the cheap labour needed by the Chinese factories. And in agriculture there will be sweeping changes towards efficiency and also freeing up of cheap labour. I think the writing is very much on the wall now, for all to see. Big changes lie ahead and any non Chinese foreigner would be wise to reconsider any future plans they had to spend more time in or to invest in Thailand. Thailand's future is becoming inextricably tied to that of China. If this isn't the Chinese century after all then that will have been a terribly strategy, but even if it is, becoming a second class province of the master country won't be a very good choice either.,

[Loles]

They miss more Chinese here ...

[Thai at Heart]

That is a handshake? Who is going to curtsey?

[Suffinator]

Funny how once the military took over the doors to China swung open wide, almost like both sides were waiting for it to happen. Makes me wonder who was funding the protests that precipitated the coup, a coup that was legitimized by the protests and with political obstacles out of the way nothing would then prevent a full scale economic colonization. Yes, and funny how at the exact same moment we saw cold shouldering of Japan and the West. Funny, that's all I'm saying. Soon we will see later scale manufacturing by China in Thailand (and the Japanese will be coerced to shut up shop, but by bit) as well as exploitation of commodity and agricultural resources, increased military cooperation leading to a Chinese base, pressure on the US to close its base and end its military cooperation, the closure of labour intensive tourist businesses frequented largely by Westerners, in order to free up and demobilize the cheap labour needed by the Chinese factories. And in agriculture there will be sweeping changes towards efficiency and also freeing up of cheap labour. I think the writing is very much on the wall now, for all to see. Big changes lie ahead and any non Chinese foreigner would be wise to reconsider any future plans they had to spend more time in or to invest in Thailand. Thailand's future is becoming inextricably tied to that of China. If this isn't the Chinese century after all then that will have been a terribly strategy, but even if it is, becoming a second class province of the master country won't be a very good choice either.,

Thailand states it's never been colonized and yet the ruling elite are Thai-Chinese. This is nothing more than China protecting its assets.

[yellowboat]

"Prayut said China plays an important part in promoting peace, stability and development in the region and that Thailand will cooperate closely with China to step up the ASEAN-China ties as well as regional cooperation."

The Philippines and Vietnam may disagree with that statement.

[outsider]

"Prayut said China plays an important part in promoting peace, stability and development in the region and that Thailand will cooperate closely with China to step up the ASEAN-China ties as well as regional cooperation."

The Philippines and Vietnam may disagree with that statement.

Shamelessly speaking on behalf of the rest of the world again, as usual.

Edited December 23, 2014 by outsider

[fobuff]

I hope they do not use the North Korean friensship model ant it cost them $10B to get it

Edited December 23, 2014 by fobuff

[ThiravetPramuanratkarn]

Political objective is obviously avoided in the signing of the three MOUs between the two leaders in Beijing yesterday. On part of China, however, her naturalistic response to Asean’s increasingly economic strength is to focus her close connectivity on Thailand, due to her geopolitical position as a gateway to the whole region. On the other hand, Thailand has nothing to lose while still welcoming Japan and S. Korea to be part of Asean+3.
Perhaps, some comments above are too much exaggerating out of fear Thailand is submitting to China without realizing that cold war in Thailand was completely dismissed once Moa and PM Kukrit met in Beijing 40 years ago. The next year in 1976 saw a complete withdrawal of US air bases in Thailand, remaining only JUSMAG and the Cobra Gold drill. Things did not occur by coincidence, although the West should learn more of the Asiatic mode of diplomacy in order to get a better understanding of our ever changing world system.

Edited December 24, 2014 by Crossy
fixed oversized font

[rickirs]

The Chinese have dupped Thailand in two subtle ways.

"Li hopes the Thai side will support and facilitate Chinese participation in the exploitation of kalium resources in Thailand."

Another term for kalium is "potassium" having the elemental symbol "K." It is a primary ingredient for fertilizer. And with 40% of Thailand's GDP dependent on agriculture, fertilizer is a critical product for its national economic security. Well done General Prayuth! It's likely the Chinese can make fertilizer cheaper than Thais and sell it back to the Thai farmers at prices lower than what Thai manufacturers can achieve. Thus, China will undermine Thailand's fertilizer business. Well done General Prayuth!

"Li looked forward to more use of the Chinese yuan and the Thai baht in trade and investment settlement ..."

[from a Chinese news article]

"The Chinese yuan has been sliding quickly against the US dollar in recent days. The yuan has devalued over 2 percent against the greenback through so far this year. This is despite the yuan's gaining value against the US dollar steadily in the first six months of the year, and the central bank's pledge to let the Chinese currency reasonably appreciate. Some market analysts here in China are already worrying that the central bank may be losing some of its control over the yuan's value."

One of the trade deals included a currency swap agreement worth 70 billion yuan, or about 11 billion US dollars and recporal stock market access. Thailand is aligning its baht with the yuan. The yuan is not yet an internationally traded currency and in order for China to use it for international trade it has to make separate, usually government-to-government deals for its use. Thus, its trade with Thailand will earn China an international currency (baht) that it can use in global trade while it artificially controls the value of the yuan. And Thailand gets a currency that MUST be used for trade with China. Well done General Prayuth!

[tonbridgebrit]

The junta is certainly moving Thailand towards China. If Thaksin was still in charge, would things be different ?

If Thaksin was in charge, Thailand would still be moving towards China, but maybe a bit slower. The junta has actually done this with breath-taking speed. Who knows, at this rate, the MASSIVE CANAL that is going to cut Thailand in half might actually get built.

Actually, the anti-Thaksinites can have a smirk on their faces. It is the junta that is getting all the glory and credit for making Thailand part of China. When history is written, Thaksin will NOT get any glory or credit for doing this.

What about Abhisit and the Dems ? Well, some people feel that Abhisit and the Dems were far less open to China than Thaksin was. Does this mean that Abhisit and the Dems are actually slightly resenting the junta ? After all, regarding Thailand's link with China, the junta has done things more quickly than Thaksin himself !!!!