PM Opens Thailand-China Expo 2026, Marks Trade Investment Ties
Thailand's prime minister opened the Thailand-China Cooperation Expo 2026, highlighting both nations' plan to deepen trade and investment ties during the next fifty years of their strategic partnership.
Prime Minister Anuthon Charnveerakul presided over the opening and keynote address at the Thailand–China Cooperation Expo 2026 at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, joined by a coordination mechanism for sustainable Thai-Chinese business partnership involving three key organizations: the Thai Chamber of Commerce led by Pojn Aramwattananon, the Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce headed by Narongsakdi Butthapornmongkol, and the Association of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Thailand led by Liu Chewian Lay. High-level officials and partners including Chinese Acting Chargé d'Affaires Wu Zhiou and IMPACT CEO Paul Kanchanapassorn attended alongside government and business representatives.
Prime Minister Anuthon stated the expo occurs at a critical moment in bilateral relations, with both nations needing to review strategies and set cooperative directions for mutual benefit. He noted Thailand and China share deep-rooted relations spanning generations, celebrated 50 years of diplomatic ties last year, and are now embarking on the next fifty years under a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership. He emphasized the government's focus on foreign direct investment (FDI), infrastructure development, and business facilitation through the Thailand FastPass program, which has unlocked over 700 billion baht in investments, while expressing confidence that Thai-Chinese cooperation will bring prosperity to both nations and benefit ASEAN broadly.
Acting Chinese Ambassador Wu Zhiou called this year the beginning of a "golden fifty-year chapter" for China-Thailand relations, reaffirming China's priority commitment to developing ties with Thailand as a trusted strategic partner. He outlined three key expectations for the expo: serving as an effective communication platform between government and private sectors, deepening industrial cooperation through domestic procurement, R&D, and joint human resource development especially for Thai SMEs, and strengthening people-to-people bonds between the two nations.
Pojn Aramwattananon, chair of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and speaking for the Thai-Chinese business coordination mechanism, noted the inaugural expo last year was well-received and successfully created trade, investment, and networking opportunities between Thailand and China. This second edition aims to further elevate economic cooperation between the two countries.
