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Thai & fruit exports focus of talks between the two countries to strengthen relations. Student & teacher exchanges, help in agro-industry development also to be discussed.

In photo above Thai fruits being promoted at the Fantastic Fruit Festival 2012 held in Rayong in May along with a beauty pageant participant presenting the fruits.

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TRADE

Guangdong,Thailand sign jasmine rice export deal

5/07/2012
Thanida Tansubhapol

GUANGZHOU : Thailand and Guangdong province of China will enter a deal for Thailand to export premium grade jasmine rice to China

Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said the Foreign Ministry will talk to the Commerce Ministry to help speed up the agreement with China on its intended purchase of Thai rice.

The proposal emerged from a meeting between Mr Surapong and Zhu Xiaodan, Governor of Guangdong province.

Mr Surapong is visiting China to promote Thai-Chinese relationships.

The proposed agreement would help solve the problem of some Thai exporters mixing low grade rice with high quality jasmine rice.

The problem was addressed by Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping during his talks last year with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The two countries have agreed that the issue will be raised again during the third working group meeting between Thailand and Guangdong province, to be held in Thailand early next year.

Apart from the rice deal, the working group will discuss cooperation in the education sector, exchanges of students and academics, cooperation on information technology and telecommunication and agro-industry development.

Mr Zhu called for Thai exporters to concentrate on the quality of Thai fruits being exported to China, as a wide variety of Thai fruits - durian, mangosteen, longan and banana - are very popular in China.

Mr Zhu said he is confident that these Thai fruits are excellent and said exporters should be honest about their products.

Trade volume between Thailand and Guangdong last year was US$19 billion (598 billion baht). 

Of this volume, agricultural products - including rubber, tapioca, fruits and rice - took up the largest share of the trade, Mr Zhu said.

Mr Surapong said Chinese traders wanted Thailand to quckly improve its management of logistical issues.

He said the government is trying to urge Thai traders to export high quality fruits to Guangdong because the people there have higher purchasing power than local Thais.

Thailand has also encouraged the Shenzhen Scope Company, located in Guangdong province, to set up a factory in Thailand in the hope that the firm will be a focal point for Chinese investors looking to export their products to other Asean countries, Mr Surapong said.

The Chinese firm won the bid held by the Thai government for the production of tablet PCs for Prathom 1 students.

Mr Surapong also said he expected that as many as two million Chinese visitors will travel to Thailand next year.

He said that currently about 1.5 million Chinese tourists visit Thailand a year. Of them, about one million come from Guangdong province.

(Source: Bangkok Post, TRADE, Guangdong,Thailand sign jasmine rice export deal, 5/07/2012, Thanida Tansubhapol, link)


Thai-Chinese Trade Relations Vocabulary

jasmine rice - the most famous high quality variety of Thai rice, a fragrant long-grain variety of rice that has a nutty aroma and a subtle and unique flavour, the grains will cling when cooked, though it is less sticky than other rices ข้าวหอมมะลิ (See Wikipedia)

deal - a formal business agreement, especially an agreement to buy or sell goods or provide a service
sign deal - when the two sides of an agreement (parties) sign the agreement making it legally binding and official

Guangdong,Thailand sign jasmine rice export deal

premium - special features or service that you pay extra for
grade - the level of quality of a good, material or commodity bought in large quantities like rice or oil
premium grade jasmine rice - the highest level of quality of Jasmine rice

Thailand and Guangdong province of China will enter a deal for Thailand to export premium grade jasmine rice to China

intended - planned; want to happen ที่ได้วางแผนไว้ ที่ตั้งใจให้เกิดขึ้น
purchase - buy 
intended purchase of Thai rice

Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said the Foreign Ministry will talk to the Commerce Ministry to help speed up the agreement with China on its intended purchase of Thai rice.

emerged - come into being; came out of ปรากฏให้เห็น โผล่ออกมา appeared ปรากฏออกมา
meeting - when a group of people come together to discuss issues and make decisions การประชุม

proposal - a plan or suggestion for a group to consider ข้อเสนอ
proposal emerged from a meeting

The proposal emerged from a meeting between Mr Surapong and Zhu Xiaodan, Governor of Guangdong province.

promote Thai-Chinese relationships - act to make relations between the two countries stronger

Mr Surapong is visiting China to promote Thai-Chinese relationships.

proposed - suggested (but not yet chosen or decided upon)
proposed agreement

The proposed agreement would help solve the problem of some Thai exporters mixing low grade rice with high quality jasmine rice.

talks - negotiations, formal discussions of problems between different sides in a conflict in order to solve the problem
address a problem - try to solve a problem, make efforts to solve a problem, make an attempt to solve a problem

problem adressed during talks between leaders

The problem was addressed by Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping during his talks last year with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

issues - subjects that need to be considered ประเด็น

raise an issue - start talking and debating about an issue at a meeting
the issue will be raised again

working group - a group of people gathered together to discuss and solve a problem
working group meeting

The two countries have agreed that the issue will be raised again during the third working group meeting between Thailand and Guangdong province, to be held in Thailand early next year.

cooperation - working together towards a goal การร่วมมือกัน การทำงานร่วมกัน

sector - a part of the economy ภาคเศรษฐกิจของประเทศ (public sector = government, private sector = all businesses, household sector = families and consumers, banking sector,...) (See Wikipedia)
education sector

cooperation in the education sector

academics - professors and lecturers at universities and colleges
exchanges of students and academics

development - the gradual growth and formation of something
agro-industry development

Apart from the rice deal, the working group will discuss cooperation in the education sector, exchanges of students and academics, cooperation on information technology and telecommunication and agro-industry development.

concentrate - to give most of your attention to one aim or activity เพ่งความสนใจไปยัง มุ่งไปที่
concentrate on the quality of Thai fruits

variety - many different types of things or people ความหลากหลาย
wide variety

a wide variety of Thai fruits are very popular in China

longan - a fruit, see photo above right (See Wikipedia)
confident - being certain of your abilities or of having trust in people, plans, or the future มั่นใจ

Mr Zhu called for Thai exporters to concentrate on the quality of Thai fruits being exported to China, as a wide variety of Thai fruits - durian, mangosteen, longan and banana - are very popular in China. Mr Zhu said he is confident that these Thai fruits are excellent and said exporters should be honest about their products.

volume - the quantity or amount of something
trade volume

tapioca - cassava, an important food source of carbohydrates, also source of ethanol car fuel (See Wikipedia) มันสำปะหลัง
share - the percentage of something that you have (example: she complained that her share of the team's work was greater than others)

trade - the buying and selling of goods การค้าขาย
the largest share of the trade

Trade volume between Thailand and Guangdong last year was US$19 billion (598 billion baht).  Of this volume, agricultural products - including rubber, tapioca, fruits and rice - took up the largest share of the trade, Mr Zhu said.

traders - people who trade securities (stocks, bonds) and derivatives ผู้ค้าหุ้นและหลักทรัพย์

improve - to make better ทำให้ดีขึ้น

logistics (noun) - moving goods around (factory to store), storing them in warehouses and tracking where they are in a computer system (See Wikipedia)
logistical (adjective)
logistical issues

improve management of logistical issues

urge - to advise someone very strongly about what action or attitude they should take วิงวอน ย้ำเตือน

purchasing power - the ability of people to buy goods and services (because they have high incomes or because their country's exchange rate is high compared to other countries making foreign goods cheap for them)

Mr Surapong said Chinese traders wanted Thailand to quickly improve its management of logistical issues. He said the government is trying to urge Thai traders to export high quality fruits to Guangdong because the people there have higher purchasing power than local Thais.

encouraged - having more confidence or hope about something มีกำลังใจ
firm - a business or company บริษัท

focal point - the main thing that people are concerned about

bid - an offer to buy something at a specific price ยื่นเสนอราคา
won the bid

expected - believe will happen คาดว่า (จะเกิดขึ้น)

Thailand has also encouraged the Shenzhen Scope Company, located in Guangdong province, to set up a factory in Thailand in the hope that the firm will be a focal point for Chinese investors looking to export their products to other Asean countries, Mr Surapong said. The Chinese firm won the bid held by the Thai government for the production of tablet PCs for Prathom 1 students. Mr Surapong also said he expected that as many as two million Chinese visitors will travel to Thailand next year. He said that currently about 1.5 million Chinese tourists visit Thailand a year. Of them, about one million come from Guangdong province.

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