Prime Minister Strengthens Bilateral Relations with China and Laos
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul recently underscored his commitment to strengthening Thailand’s bilateral relationships with both China and Laos.
In September, during his attendance at the Thailand–China Cooperation Expo 2025, Prime Minister Anutin delivered remarks on Thailand–China relations and outlined five key areas of future cooperation. These include infrastructure and logistics connectivity, such as the Eastern Economic Corridor and Thailand–China high-speed rail to facilitate trade and tourism; the green economy and clean energy, with Thailand serving as a hub for electric vehicle and battery production and a new five-year trade plan targeting semiconductors, batteries, and sustainable production; digital technology and innovation, including a platform linking finance, cross-border trade, and AI to support SMEs and start-ups; agriculture and food security, reflecting Thailand’s role as a major producer and China’s consumption demands; and people-to-people exchanges in education, culture, and tourism to deepen mutual understanding and shared cultural heritage. The areas of cooperation remain largely consistent with the joint commitments made during former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s visit to China in February 2025.
Within ASEAN, Prime Minister Anutin initiated engagement with Laos through his first official visit to the country on October 16, marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. During the visit, Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin and Laos’ Prime Minister Sonexay reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in combating cross-border crimes such as drug and human trafficking, as well as online scams. They also agreed to intensify joint efforts to address air pollution under the “Clear Sky Strategy,” which focuses on tackling transboundary smog. Thailand will support Laos in establishing advanced systems to monitor and manage air quality data and to issue pollution warnings.
On economic and trade, Prime Minister Anutin expressed Thailand’s goal of boosting cross-border trade with Laos to USD 11 billion by 2027. He also mentioned Thailand’s consideration of additional support for developing trade routes including a bridge across Mekong River connecting Ban Xieng Maen and Luang Prabang, and voiced support for drafting a comprehensive logistics cooperation strategy between the two countries. On tourism sector, the leaders also agreed to set a target of achieving three million two-way tourist arrivals per year and reaffirmed their joint commitment to promoting tourism from countries outside the region. Prime Minister Anutin further encouraged the Lao side to facilitate Thai investment in solar power and other renewable energy projects in Laos.
