The Prime Minister led government and private sectors at the Thailand-China business forum, promoting the "Co-creation" concept to elevate ties from trading partners to future economic partners and to drive investment in new industries.
At 11:00 a.m. on 14 Nov 2026, at the ballroom of Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, Ms. Lalida Pertwiwatthana, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office, revealed that Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and H.E. Mr. Li Qiang, Premier of the People's Republic of China, co-chaired the Thailand–China Business Roundtable, attended by 100 representatives from both governments and private sectors.
Among the senior Thai government representatives present were Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mr. Anek Niti Thantapprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Ms. Supachai Sutthumpan, Prime Minister's Secretary-General Ms. Traisulee Traisarnkul, Foreign Ministry Advisor Mr. Attayut Srisamut, Secretary-General of the Board of Investment Mr. Narit Therdsteerasak, and Secretary-General of the National Economic and Social Development Council Mr. Danucha Pichayanan. Leading Thai business representatives included the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Thai Chambers of Commerce, Charoen Pokphand Group, Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited, Thai Beverage Public Company Limited, Mitr Phol Group, Amata Corporation Public Company Limited, and Banpu Public Company Limited.
On this occasion, the Prime Minister delivered a statement emphasizing the future direction of Thai-Chinese cooperation under the "Co-creation" concept, aiming to elevate the relationship from mere trading partners to partners jointly ideating, investing, and building the future together. Each country's strengths will complement the other to achieve tangible and more effective outcomes. Thailand benefits from its geographic location as ASEAN's hub, rich culture, abundant resources, and flexible, open trade, investment, and tourism policies.
Currently, Thailand is advancing strategies to restructure its economy by building upon existing potential while developing human resources and technology. It also promotes future industries such as data centers, semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), electric vehicles, agriculture and food, medical sectors, and infrastructure.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Thailand's support for an open and balanced trading system and is pushing to upgrade the ASEAN–China Free Trade Agreement (FTA 3.0) to boost trade value and establish a foundation for sustainable economic growth. Presently, Chinese investors have nearly 500 projects in Thailand, representing more than one-third of all foreign investment projects.
The Prime Minister emphasized that achieving Thailand's economic restructuring goals depends on three key factors:
1. Speed in policy implementation and facilitation to keep pace with investment opportunities.
2. Quality personnel, especially skilled workers in engineering, digital technology, and artificial intelligence (AI), to support the growth of future industries.
3. A strong economic foundation capable of handling multidimensional threats, especially transnational crime, alongside developing infrastructure and connectivity with neighboring countries. The Thai government prioritizes developing the high-speed rail linking Thailand, Laos, and China to facilitate travel, improve cross-border goods transport efficiency, and expand access to local and regional markets.
At the conclusion, the Prime Minister stressed upgrading Thailand's image beyond a tourist destination to an investment hub and innovation center. He encouraged young people to view China as a source of learning and business opportunities to foster new beneficial cooperation for economic development of both countries, in line with the Chinese saying 中泰一家亲 (Zhong-Tai Yi Jia Qin) meaning "China and Thailand are close like family," a principle both countries have long upheld.
This meeting was held through cooperation between the Thai and Chinese Ministries of Commerce from 13–14 Nov 2026 as a side event to the official visit of the Chinese Prime Minister to Thailand. It served as a platform for exchanging visions and driving economic cooperation between the public and private sectors of both countries.
"The business sectors of Thailand and China are key drivers of both countries' economies, encompassing cooperation across various fields including trade, investment, technology, agriculture and food, energy, medicine, and infrastructure. The government plays a crucial role in policy formulation and facilitating smooth, stable, and fair business operations for both sides. Today's Thailand–China Business Roundtable marks an important step in the relationship between the two countries, fostering joint thinking, creation, and pushing for tangible cooperation outcomes that generate sustainable economic opportunities, employment, and income for the people of both nations," said the Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office.
