Excellencies, 

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

I wish to join my colleagues before me in congratulating China for the success of this historic commemorative Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. 

 

The establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund, as well as multiple projects on railways networks, highways and ports in various regions are among China’s most significant accomplishments under the Belt and Road Initiative. These initiatives are tangible testimony to China’s visions and endeavours over the years. 

 

Indeed, Thailand fully supports this vision and the Belt and Road Initiative since we ourselves have been a strong advocate of connectivity in South East Asia. This is concretely reflected in Thailand’s proposal in 2009 to set up an ASEAN Master Plan on Connectivity to link the countries in the sub-region to this vision of this shared prosperity. 

 

Connectivity is one of the most crucial elements to achieve such goals. Through roads, railways, ports, and digital connectivity, flows of trade, investment, knowledge and people can be accelerated. The Belt and Road Initiative will help to increase the flow of knowledge, economic activities, technologies and infrastructures for the prosperity of the people. 

 

This panel discussion on Policy Coordination, as its name suggests, is prerequisite to a comprehensive multidimensional and coordinate connectivity across various regions and continents. The result of this session should serve as policy guidelines for all BRI participants at the national level.

 

On our part, Thailand is currently carrying out policies that are complimentary to the Belt and Road Initiative. First, we are promoting our Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) that runs through the center of Thailand. The Government plans to connect this corridor to the China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor (CICPEC) also mentioned in the BRI concept paper.  Thailand is where the 3 main economic corridors namely, North-South Economic Corridor, East-West Economic Corridor, and Southern Economic Corridor interconnect. Hence, we can certainly play a vital role in linking China’s CICPEC with the Mekong sub-region. 

 

Second, Thailand is implementing the “Thailand 4.0” policy as main tool to overcome of the middle income trap. Thailand 4.0 involves the integration of new core elements such as innovation, knowledge, technology and creativity into all our core policies both economic and social. One of its priority is to integrate Thailand with ASEAN and connecting us to the Global Connectivity platform. We also strongly support economic integration in the CLMVT or ACMECS towards a seamless connectivity and an improved Human Resources Development in the subregion. This is with a view to create a perfect regional supply and value chain and sharpen our competitive edge in the global market.

 

Third, our Government attaches great importance to digital economy. We aim to make digital infrastructure accessible for all and utilize digital economy as a tool to improve economic and social activities. Digital economy has been consistently promoted in hard infrastructure, soft infrastructure and service infrastructure throughout Thailand. 

 

These key national policies certainly complement the Belt and Road Initiative. 

 

We can contribute a great deal to the Belt and Road Initiative. Our strategic location at the heart of ASEAN mainland and existing infrastructures can certainly bridge mainland Asia with our neighbours in the archipelago.  

 

The Belt and Road Initiative can also complement and add value to Thailand’s active role in various sub-regional and regional existing cooperation frameworks. Thailand is member of many subregional groupings namely the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), IMT-GT, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, IORA and the ACD, all of which pay particular interest on connectivity. In particular, Thailand as the ACMECS Chair next year, we plan to work with member countries on an ACMECS Connectivity Master Plan. We are also ready to work closely with all participants to explore ways and means to cooperate on matters related to trade, human resources development, digital connectivity, technology transfer and science, technology and innovation. 

 

Excellencies, 

Distinguished fellow delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

The Belt and Road Initiative is truly a global agenda. If we are to see this Initiative progressing by leaps and bounds, joint effort and support from the international community will be required.

 

Our presence and those of the Leaders at this Forum reflects how well-received the Belt and Road Initiative already is. So let us make today’s event not just a great beginning but a beginning of a significant history. The day we stand together to reglorify the Silk Road, a history that positively impact the lives 

of our future generations.

 

With inclusiveness, poverty eradication, win-win cooperation and sustainable development being the Belt and Road Initiative’s cornerstone, we are certain the Initiative will concretely help improve global infrastructure and economic development.

 

I trust that this meeting and its outcomes will further bolster confidence among the participants and encourage even more players to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

 

Thank you.