Why is China Buying One Million Tons of Rice from Thailand?
By Prashanth Parameswaran

Beijing is helping Thailand ease a large burden.

BANGKOK: -- On August 10, Thailand’s Commerce Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikalya announced that China and Thailand had reached a government-to-government agreement for Beijing to buy one million tons of Thai rice.

The agreement is part of a broader memorandum of understanding (MoU) the two countries reached last December for China to buy two million tons of rice from Thailand (See: “Thailand Turns to China”).

According to Chatchai, this particular sale involves Thai jasmine rice and Thai-5 percent broken white rice and would be done using market prices. Negotiations for the sale the other 1 million tons of rice to China under the MoU are expected to begin in September.

The deal is significant because it would allow Thailand – currently the world’s second largest rice exporter – to begin to ease the stockpiles of grain it accumulated under a graft-ridden rice-pledging program under former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra...

Full story: http://thediplomat.com/2015/08/why-is-china-buying-one-million-tons-of-rice-from-thailand/

-- The Diplomat 2015-08-11

"would be done using market prices."

which will

"begin to ease the stockpiles of grain it accumulated "

So China is going to buy 1 million tons of crappy rice at market prices, really?

"Why is China buying one million tons of rice from Thailand?"

And the answer to the question is..........??????

Has and will China be confirming this, not that LoS would ever make a statement on behalf of others.

China want to be seen as buying something from Thailand, and at the moment the only stuff Thailand can sell

them is some mouldy rice, this rice will probably end up as animal's feed, and in return China will sell to

Thailand ten folds of the rice's value, those Chines are not stupid you know....

and, as the article then continues, ...

who was overthrown in a coup in May 2014. China had canceled an earlier deal to buy 1.2 million tons of Thai rice in February last year after the country’s anti-corruption agency launched a probe into the scheme

the question of the article could read "Why is China buying one million tons of rice from Thailand now?"

Will the NACC be looking into this deal with the same vigour as before?

and, as the article then continues, ...

who was overthrown in a coup in May 2014. China had canceled an earlier deal to buy 1.2 million tons of Thai rice in February last year after the country’s anti-corruption agency launched a probe into the scheme

the question of the article could read "Why is China buying one million tons of rice from Thailand now?"

Will the NACC be looking into this deal with the same vigour as before?

The deal before you refer doesn't seem to be the scam for which the then responsible Minister of commerce and staff are being prosecuted for. That was begin of 2013. The later 'deal' seemed even more shady.

Well, it doesn't say crop years so I wouldn't assume it is old crop

Thai at Heart

How would buying the current crop ease the stockpiles that they refer to?

"would be done using market prices."

which will

"begin to ease the stockpiles of grain it accumulated "

So China is going to buy 1 million tons of crappy rice at market prices, really?

Seems like a fair deal to me, crappy rice for crappy buses/trains/ submarines maybe?

No big secret that China doesn't have enough farmland to feed itself. News of them buying farmland around the world has been increasing for years. I believe Ukraine recently banned them from buying farmland because they had bought so much. Their buying lots of rice is a non-story on the Chinese end.

China buys huge swathe of Ukraine in grab for farmland

It has a fifth of the world's population but just 9 per cent of the world's farm land. Now China has signed a deal to buy vast areas of arable land in Europe's bread basket - Ukraine.

http://www.channel4.com/news/china-ukraine-farmland-food-security-investment-overseas

China’s Interest in Farmland Makes Brazil Uneasy

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/world/americas/27brazil.html?_r=0

Chinese firms and Gulf sheiks are snatching up farmland worldwide. Why?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2013/01/26/chinese-firms-and-gulf-sheiks-are-grabbing-farmland-worldwide-why/

China Buying Up African Farmland

http://jutiagroup.com/20090706-china-buying-up-african-farmland/

Its a disgrace that people are commenting negatively about this deal. China is only doing it due to the amourous relationship between both the thai and chinese foreign ministers as openly declared by the thai foreign minister recently.

The deal is significant because it would allow Thailand currently the worlds second largest rice exporter to begin to ease the stockpiles of grain it accumulated under a graft-ridden rice-pledging program under former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra...

Well put, the remaining question would be, is this a real, genuine government to government rice deal, or is it a PTP rice deal?

"Why is China buying one million tons of rice from Thailand?"

And the answer to the question is..........??????

Probably The Diplomat doesn't know the answer and consults Thaivisa's armchair experts with the OP.

"Why is China buying one million tons of rice from Thailand?"

And the answer to the question is..........??????

So they can afford to buy 3 Chinese submarines.

Expect the "baying hounds" to be along shortly to question the integrity of future, speculative, opaque Government-to-Government "deals".

Why the silence?

Have they been neutered? OK, just busy licking their privates.

...why is China 1 million and more tones of rice from Thailand?

Easy.... POWER

It is all part of the deal that Thailand is giving China to build a lot of the rail, road infrastructure etc.

We will give you this if you buy this. Etc etc.

Hungry people!

and, as the article then continues, ...

who was overthrown in a coup in May 2014. China had canceled an earlier deal to buy 1.2 million tons of Thai rice in February last year after the country’s anti-corruption agency launched a probe into the scheme

the question of the article could read "Why is China buying one million tons of rice from Thailand now?"

Will the NACC be looking into this deal with the same vigour as before?

Because they are fairly sure that China is involved in the deal and not some Thai-Chinese criminal hiding out overseas.

"Why is China buying one million tons of rice from Thailand?"

And the answer to the question is..........?????

Because they are hungry......?

Maybe they are hungry?

You buy our Rice....and then we will buy your submarines....winwin, we will look good, you will look good, everyone happy happy!

Some strategic trade for both countries, I believe.

"Why is China buying one million tons of rice from Thailand?"

And the answer to the question is..........??????

...after huge sales of China's production of fake PVC rice to Indonesia, India, and Myanmar they don't have enough for the local market.

They are buying it so they continue to look like a nice big cuddly teddy bear to Thailand and continue to lull them into a false sense of security. One day they will morph from a teddy bear into a hungry dragon.

how much rice for a submarine ?

I think this is happening after the declaration of love of the Thai Minister of foreign affairs to "His excellency" ROTFLMAO

They only SAID they are buying the rice ! Loaded ships on the way to China ?, Money in the bank ?

and, as the article then continues, ...

who was overthrown in a coup in May 2014. China had canceled an earlier deal to buy 1.2 million tons of Thai rice in February last year after the country’s anti-corruption agency launched a probe into the scheme

the question of the article could read "Why is China buying one million tons of rice from Thailand now?"

Will the NACC be looking into this deal with the same vigour as before?

Because they are fairly sure that China is involved in the deal and not some Thai-Chinese criminal hiding out overseas.

And that makes it different exactly how?