H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, sent a congratulatory message to H.E. Mr. Wang Yi, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, on the auspicious occasion of the 45^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Thailand and the People’s Republic of China on 1 July 2020, as follows: 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Sri Ayudhya Road,
Bangkok 10400.

15 June B.E. 2563 (2020)

Excellency,

On the auspicious occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Thailand and the People’s Republic of China on 1 July 2020, I have the pleasure to extend to you and, through you, to the Government and people of the People’s Republic of China my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes. 

Throughout the past 45 years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China have played instrumental roles in cultivating Sino-Thai relations into a special and vibrant Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership based on mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual benefit. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to you for your friendship and the time and energy you have dedicated to nurturing the relationship between our two countries.   

On my part, I am personally honoured to contribute a congratulatory message on this occasion and to witness the flourishing relations between Thailand and China at all levels and in all dimensions, having been involved in different capacities in different phases of our two countries’ diplomatic relations, including as former Ambassador of Thailand to China during 2000-2004 and presently as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The robust relations and steady expansion of cooperation between Thailand and China have been driven by our two countries’ desire to collaborate in mutually beneficial areas of common interest. Indeed, both Thailand and China have enjoyed the benefits from such healthy cooperation, especially in the economic area, which has greatly contributed to national development and improvements in the well-being of the peoples
 of the two countries. To date, China is Thailand’s largest trading partner, with an increase in the bilateral trade volume of more than 12-fold from the year 2000, while Chinese tourists constitute the largest proportion of international tourist arrivals in Thailand. Meanwhile, our people-to-people relations continue to grow through active cooperation in education, culture and sister-city frameworks, which have now increased to more than 40 pairs, enabling Thailand and China to further cultivate mutual understanding, strengthen the bond of friendship, and deepen bilateral cooperation in various areas of mutual benefit.

These developments in Sino-Thai relations could not have been achieved without the solid foundation laid by our two Governments through the frequent exchanges of visits by the Leaders and high-level officials, as well as the close consultations through the Strategic Dialogue and meetings of the Joint Working Groups between Thailand and the Provincial Governments of China.  I am particularly pleased with the official visit to Thailand by His Excellency Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council, in November 2019, which marked another significant milestone in reaffirming our partnership and commitment to further promoting cooperation for the betterment of our two countries and peoples as well as advancing our shared goals for regional harmony and prosperity. 

The relations between Thailand and China have withstood the test of time and challenges. The outpouring of generosity extended by the governments, business communities and people of the two countries in assisting each other to overcome the COVID-19 situation has deepened the bonds and affections between both countries.

The commemoration of the 45th anniversary of Sino-Thai relations is a time to celebrate past achievements and envision together ways to further strengthen our partnership towards a more promising future. In this regard, Thailand looks forward to working closely with China in building a meaningful and progressive strategic partnership while supporting China’s constructive role in sub-regional and regional frameworks, particularly ASEAN-China, Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC), and the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), as well as commitment  to being a responsible global power.  

Accept, Excellency, the renewed assurances of my highest consideration.
   

             (Don Pramudwinai)

         Minister of Foreign Affairs
        of the Kingdom of Thailand
 

His Excellency
       Mr. Wang Yi,
          State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs
                of the People’s Republic of China,
                                 BEIJING.