The construction of the Thai-Sino rail project should be sped up so Thailand can connect to big markets in China and become a regional transit hub, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said yesterday during his first official visit to the kingdom.
China's Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi, left, shakes hands with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at Government House yesterday. photo by Government House
As the Chinese government pushes its One Belt One Road policy, the Chinese foreign minister said Thailand's participation will contribute to vast development in areas of Chinese-Thai cooperation, and is a rare and important opportunity to create economic advancement in Thailand.
"Thailand is part of the important junctions both for land and marine transport in the One Belt One Road Initiative. Therefore, [Thailand] is a very important partner," he said.
"In the next step, we can start with priorities. First is the strengthening of cooperation in the construction of a Chinese-Thai railway," he was quoted as saying by his translator at a joint press conference, where Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai was also present.
Mr Wang stressed China's commitment to transferring knowledge and specialised technology to Thai personnel to make the project "truly successful" and contribute to economic development in Thailand, adding that although the project has faced some technical hurdles in the past, China's commitment remains unwavering.
The Chinese foreign minister also said the construction of the railway will not only propel the development of industries and areas around the project, but also support the Pan Asia railway project which will elevate Thailand's status to become a centre of regional connectivity and make Thailand an economic hub of Asean.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha last month exercised his power under Section 44 of the charter to speed up the 179 billion baht Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima rail project, over which concerns have been raised by many parties.
The project is expected to be extended from the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima to the border province of Nong Khai in future.
Since the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) held in Beijing on May 14, the Chinese government has been heavily promoting its initiative as well as its high-speed trains to the world.
Mr Don, meanwhile, said the project will not only connect Thailand to China but also to other regions.
He also said the project will contribute to development in the areas around the railway such as the northeastern region of Thailand.
"[The project] will be beneficial to the South East Asia region, especially in terms of the connection to megaprojects such as the Eastern Economic Corridor, Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy, and other projects in CLMVT (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand)," he said.
"We are seeing a bright future for enormous markets in the region, as well as [an opportunity to] connect Thailand to other regions," he added.