【By Guan察者网 Zhang Jingjuan】On the "golden jubilee" occasion of the 50th anniversary of Sino-Thai diplomatic relations, King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand was invited to make a state visit to China from November 13 to 17. This is the first time that a reigning monarch of Thailand has set foot on Chinese soil since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and it is also the "debut" of this king, who ascended the throne in 2016, visiting major powers.

Reuters, Hong Kong English media South China Morning Post, and other media pointed out that this trip is significant, highlighting the increasing influence of China on Thailand.

"The visit during the mourning period is enough to demonstrate the importance of China"

Before departing (on the 13th), the Thai side issued a statement saying that this five-day visit has "historic significance", which will further strengthen Sino-Thai bilateral relations in the coming years, demonstrating "the deep-rooted friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries at all levels".

According to the schedule, 73-year-old King Vajiralongkorn and his queen Suthida will meet with Chinese leaders. During the visit, the king and queen will visit the Lingguang Temple, the Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, the Education Technology and Resource Development Center of the Ministry of Education, and the China Academy of Space Technology in Beijing, as well as attend a special exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sino-Thai diplomatic relations at the Palace Museum.

According to the Thai Matichon Daily, the spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, Siripong, previously stated that the government highly values the king and queen's visit to China, calling it "the highest symbol of the close friendship between the two countries". He also introduced that Prime Minister Anutin will accompany the king on his visit to China.

King Vajiralongkorn, Bloomberg

It is worth noting that this visit coincides with the official mourning period following the death of King Vajiralongkorn's mother, Queen Sirikit, which is sufficient to demonstrate the royal family's emphasis on China. Queen Sirikit passed away on October 24 and had visited China in 2000 on behalf of King Bhumibol to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Sino-Thai diplomatic relations.

Thailand has implemented a constitutional monarchy since 1932, and royal visits have always been seen as an important tool of foreign policy. King Vajiralongkorn himself has long-standing ties with China. He visited China four times as a crown prince from 1987 to 1998, meeting with several Chinese leaders, and his travels covered more than ten provinces, cities, and autonomous regions including Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Xinjiang, leaving a significant mark on Sino-Thai relations.

However, the absence of a royal visit to China has long been a missing element in the development of Sino-Thai relations. Sitthiphon Kruarattikan, a scholar of international relations at Thammasat University in Bangkok, told Reuters, "Among all the countries with which China has established diplomatic relations, most heads of state have visited China, while Thailand has long been an exception, and China hopes that the current monarch of Thailand will visit China."

The Nikkei Asia reported that the significance of this visit has attracted attention from all sides. Pinyaporn Paribatra, a political scientist at Thammasat University in Bangkok, said, "This visit will fill this gap in the multi-dimensional relationship between Thailand and China."

"Sino-Thai are one family"

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1975, bilateral relations have continued to develop, and the scale of trade and investment has greatly expanded.

China is Thailand's largest import market, with the total value of goods imported from China reaching $80 billion last year. At the same time, China is also an important source of tourists for Thailand's tourism industry. Data from the Department of Tourism and Sports of Thailand showed that in the first eight months of this year, over 3 million Chinese tourists traveled to Thailand, ranking first among sources of inbound tourists. In key industries such as automobiles, China is also a major investor in Thailand, forming a deeply integrated community of shared interests.

Chinese immigrants have lived in Thailand for hundreds of years, and many Thai families (including business and political elites) have Chinese ancestry. "Thailand and China have a special bond, we regard each other as brothers and sisters, as a family," said Tej Bunnag, former Foreign Minister and former Ambassador to China.

The report mentioned that China's influence in Thailand is increasingly evident. Recently, China has urged the Thai government to intensify efforts to combat cross-border cyber fraud and has repeatedly opposed Thailand's legalization of gambling.

Bunnag said that maintaining a stable long-term relationship with China is crucial for Thailand, but Thailand must also protect its own interests. Thai officials have clearly stated that the escalation of US-China trade tensions is a major risk facing the Southeast Asian economy.

"China is a major power, and it looks at issues globally. We are a small country in Southeast Asia, and we must maintain balance in our foreign relations," Bunnag said.

Cheng Hanping, a senior researcher at the Collaborative Innovation Center for South China Sea Studies at Nanjing University, pointed out that the United States is adopting a "Go-style" strategy to try to isolate China by sowing discord between China and some Southeast Asian countries, thus forcing China to make concessions in trade to advance its "Indo-Pacific Strategy." He said that the U.S. actions have placed enormous strategic pressure on Southeast Asian countries.

Against this backdrop, the strategic significance of the King of Thailand's visit to China becomes even more prominent. Cheng Hanping pointed out that this visit by the King of Thailand is of "very important practical significance" for consolidating political mutual trust between the two countries and helping China realize the vision of building a "community with a shared future for mankind" with neighboring countries.

He added that in the current era of unilateralism and trade bullying, China and Thailand, as advocates of globalization and multilateralism, can use a high degree of bilateral certainty to address global uncertainty.

"Another important milestone in the development of Sino-Thai relations"

Regarding the King of Thailand's visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning expressed the hope of the Chinese side at a regular press conference.

Mao Ning said that China and Thailand are close friendly neighbors and a community with a shared future. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, Sino-Thai relations have maintained a high level of operation, and "Sino-Thai are one family" has become deeply rooted in people's hearts. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Sino-Thai diplomatic relations and the "Golden 50 Years of Sino-Thai Friendship," and the bilateral relations face new development opportunities.

The Chinese side expects this visit to continue the traditional friendship, consolidate political mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote the construction of a community with a shared future between China and Thailand to achieve more fruitful results, better benefiting the people of the two countries, and making positive contributions to the peace, stability, and development of the region.

On November 11, Ambassador Zhang Jianwei, the Chinese ambassador to Thailand, also published a signed article titled "To Write a New Chapter in the Continuation of Sino-Thai Friendship" in the mainstream media of Thailand, expressing the Chinese side's welcome for this visit. The article wrote that the Thai royal family has long concerned and supported Sino-Thai friendship, and it is due to this that Sino-Thai relations have continued to operate at a high level, and "Sino-Thai are one family" has become more deeply rooted in people's hearts. He emphasized that "this visit is not only a diplomatic event, but also another important milestone in the development history of Sino-Thai relations."

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7572116407442260523/

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