Somkid leads China trip

Somkid leads China trip

Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak is scheduled to lead economic ministers to China next week to tie up economic relations, focusing mainly on the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

According to the itinerary for Oct 20-25, Mr Somkid will meet senior executives of Guangdong and Hong Kong including Li Xi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, and Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

During the visit, Mr Somkid is scheduled on Oct 24 to meet executives of GBA, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Federation of Hong Kong Industries and private firms including Hairma (Nantong) Technology Co, Midea Group, Quantum Hi-Tech (China) Biological, Primax Electronics, Tymphany, King Wai Group, China Merchants Group and Advance Fiber Resources (Zhuhai) Ltd, as well as to visit Huawei Ox Horn Campus.

Mr Somkid is listed as a keynote speaker at a seminar in Shenzhen jointly held by the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and the Board of Investment on "Strategic Partnership through the Belt and Road Initiative and the EEC" on Oct 23.

He will also preside over a meeting to discuss further cooperation between Thailand and China's GBA in Hong Kong Oct 24.

The GBA aims to promote in-depth cooperation among nine cities in Guangdong -- Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Huizhou, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing -- and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, with the aim of developing a world-class city cluster via reforms, innovation and liberalisation.

The GBA has more than 70 million people, with a combined GDP of US$1.5 trillion (47 trillion baht). The area has averaged economic growth of 10.7% a year for several decades.

Kanit Sangsubhan, secretary-general of the EEC, said the agency will also sign a memorandum of understanding with Guangdong on cooperation between EEC and GBA, as well as industrial cooperation.

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