The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand hosted the 2^nd Meeting of the Thailand – Guangxi Working Group on 3 July 2017 at the Sukosol Hotel, Bangkok, co – chaired by Mr. Singtong Lapisatepun, Director – General of the Department of East Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, and Ms. Wei Yu, Deputy Director – General of the Foreign Affairs Office of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. About 70 representatives from relevant authorities of both sides attended the Meeting.

The 2^nd Working Group Meeting was built upon the discussion at the 1^st Meeting in August 2015 in Nanning. The Meeting reviewed the progress made and jointly planned the cooperation in various sectors, including economic, trade, investment, connectivity, and people – to – people contact. On economic cooperation, both sides emphasized the potentials for trade and investment expansion between each other. While requesting Guangxi to further facilitate the imports of Thai products and to reduce trade barriers, Thailand also invited Guangxi to invest in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). The Meeting underlined the importance of multi - modal regional connectivity, including land, maritime, and air connectivity. Thailand expressed its readiness to participate in the 14^th China – ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) in Nanning in September 2017. In addition, the Meeting also stressed the significance of cooperation in science, technology and innovation, as priority sectors under the Joint Action Plan under the Five – Year Development Plan on Trade and Economic Cooperation between Thailand and China. On people – to – people cooperation, both sides exchanged views on the facilitation of tourism sector, promotion of education and technical cooperation, cultural cooperation, as well as sister/ friendship cities relations, with a view to enhancing people – to – people linkages, further contributing to the strengthening of the overall Thailand – China relations.

The Meeting successfully concluded with interactive exchanges of views and amicable atmosphere, and adopted the Record of Discussion, stressing that both Thailand and Guangxi had potentials in complementing each other’s strategy. While Guangxi provided Thailand with an access to the Western part of China, Thailand, with its strategic location as a crossroad of regional economic corridors, could play an important role in the economic corridor under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Both sides would continue to work closely to support the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Thailand and China.

The Thailand – Guangxi Working Group was established in 2015 to promote the cooperation between Thailand and Guangxi. The Consul – General of Thailand in Nanning and the Director – General of the Foreign Affairs Office of Guangxi signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Establishment of the Working Group on 2 April 2015, in the presence of H.E. Gen. Tanasak Patimaprakorn, then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, and H.E. Mr. Peng Qinghua, then Secretary – General of the Communist Party of Guangxi. The Meeting welcomed Guangxi’s offer to host the 3^rd Working Group Meeting in 2019.