Fill the historical gap, King of Thailand is invited to visit China for the first time, Ministry of Foreign Affairs comments on the situation between Thailand and Cambodia
On the 50th anniversary of Sino-Thai diplomatic relations, the King of Thailand first set foot on Chinese soil.
Beijing Time on the 13th, King Vajiralongkorn was invited to visit China. He was not a stranger to China, but his previous visits were as a crown prince. This is his first visit as king, making him the first monarch from Thailand to officially visit China.
In fact, this is a historical gap in the development of Sino-Thai relations. Most of the monarchies that have established diplomatic relations with China have had their kings visit China, but Thailand is an exception. Therefore, the Chinese leadership hopes to invite the King of Thailand to visit China.
The diplomatic exchanges between the heads of state of China and Thailand are not just symbolic formalities; they also hold significant importance for deepening cooperation between the two countries. Unlike the British King, the Thai King is a person with real power, who has significant influence over the military and the parliament.
This is why, along with Queen Suthida, the new Prime Minister of Thailand, Anutin Charnvirakul, is also in the accompanying delegation.
It is worth noting that during the King's visit to China, it coincides with the official mourning period for his mother, Queen Sirikit, who passed away on the 24th of last month. She once visited China on behalf of the King in the year 2000 and is considered a good friend of the Chinese people. The King's choice of this timing to visit China further demonstrates his emphasis on China.
It should be noted that Thailand has always been a major buyer of Chinese products, importing 80 billion U.S. dollars worth of goods from China last year. Although this amount is not particularly large, for a country of Thailand's size, it is already quite considerable.
On the other hand, among the foreign tourists visiting Thailand, the top source is China. In the first eight months of this year, the number of Chinese tourists traveling to Thailand reached 3 million.
In recent years, China's influence in Thailand has been increasing day by day. This can be seen from two recent major events.
The first event is the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. Although the two countries signed a ceasefire agreement under the mediation of Trump, border friction still occurs from time to time. Recently, Thailand even announced the suspension of the agreement, showing the severity of the issue.
Facts have proven that Trump's simple and brutal mediation method does not work, only bringing temporary peace but leaving endless hidden dangers. To mediate the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, China's assistance is indispensable.
On the day of the King's visit to China, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the recent situation between Thailand and Cambodia at a press conference, expressing hope for peace between the two countries, and urging both sides to calm down and talk seriously. China will continue to provide assistance.
The second event is the successful extradition of the head of a transnational fraud criminal group, She Zhijiang, to China. He was arrested in Thailand in 2022, and after more than three years, he was finally extradited to China, which happened the day before the King's visit to China.
Extraditing She Zhijiang at this time point probably indicates that the Thai side also wanted to show sincerity to China. After all, combating telecom fraud is a key concern of China, and Thailand's level of cooperation in this regard can be considered one of the best among neighboring countries.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848670438295562/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.