BANGKOK, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Officials and business representatives from China and Thailand pledged to deepen trade and investment ties at a symposium in Bangkok on Thursday, highlighting opportunities created by China's opening up and vast market.
The promotion symposium on the 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE) and a "Big Market for All: Export to China" event targeting Thailand brought together over 200 participants, including government officials and business representatives, to share their insights on the potential for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
Addressing the event, Yan Dong, Chinese vice commerce minister, said that China has remained Thailand's largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years, and Thailand is also an important trading partner of China among ASEAN countries.
Noting that this year marks the beginning of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period, he said the CIIE, along with the "Export to China" series of events, is aimed at expanding imports and sharing new development opportunities with the world.
Yan said Thai enterprises are welcome to actively participate in the 9th CIIE, connect with Chinese partners, and boost bilateral economic and trade relations to a new level.
Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Zhang Jianwei said China-Thailand relations have maintained high-level development and achieved fruitful economic and trade cooperation.
It is hoped that the business community of Thailand will take this event as an opportunity to actively participate in key exhibitions, such as the CIIE in China, and further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, thereby injecting new impetus into the building of a China-Thailand community with a shared future, he said.
Hailing the CIIE as a world-class cooperation platform, Sunanta Kangvalkulkij, director general of the Department of International Trade Promotion under Thailand's Ministry of Commerce, said the expo attracts the attention of Thai entrepreneurs every year and continuously provides assistance and support for Thai products to enter the Chinese market.
Thailand will fully support enterprises of the two countries and promote the stable, balanced and sustainable development of trade between Thailand and China, she said.
During the event, Chinese and Thai enterprises conducted on-site business negotiations, exploring cooperation opportunities in key areas such as rubber, fruits, and cosmetics. ■
