The Cabinet approved "Professor Chen" to sign an agreement in Beijing to advance high technology by establishing a space laboratory and nuclear fusion projects, propelling Thailand into the future technological era.
On 14 July 2026, Mr. Yotchanan Wongsawat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), revealed that the Cabinet approved five draft memoranda of understanding and cooperation agreements in higher education, science, research, and innovation between MHESI and agencies of the People’s Republic of China. He will officially sign the documents at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during the Prime Minister’s official visit to China from 16–20 July 2026.
Mr. Yotchanan added that the five cooperation agreements will focus on advanced technologies (Deep Tech) and global megatrend knowledge. The key highlights include three major projects in space and energy technology: Deep Space Exploration with the establishment of a Thailand-China joint deep space exploration laboratory; Nuclear Fusion, preparing to develop and transfer nuclear fusion technology; and BeiDou System collaboration to develop China’s BeiDou satellite navigation system.
He further stated that research cooperation will emphasize future industry sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), smart agriculture, future food, biotechnology, materials science, energy, and climate change adaptation through researcher exchanges and sharing of cutting-edge scientific infrastructure. Beyond advanced research, the agreements also cover higher education enhancement through student and academic exchanges, scholarship provisions, promotion of Thai-Chinese language education, and strengthening networks between universities of both countries.
The Minister of Higher Education concluded that the ultimate goal of this cooperation is to develop high-quality talent ready to meet the demands of the modern world, enabling research to generate positive impacts economically and socially, thus boosting Thailand’s sustainable competitiveness alongside strengthening long-term Thailand-China relations.