Minister:China, Thailand economic development plans go in the same direction

NONTHABURI, THAILAND, December 7 (TNA) - Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn says that economic development plans of Thailand and China are being moved forward in the same direction, focused on strengthening and sustaining their economic development through connectivity in various sectors. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday on the importance of the 5th Meeting of the Joint Committee on Trade, Investment and Economic Cooperation between China and Thailand (JC), set to be held in China on December 9,Apiradi acknowledged that China and Thailand can, thus, jointly drive forward their policies with mutual interests and benefits, including China's One-Belt One-Road, One Belt One Ray and Internet Plus Plans, under which Bangkok is ready to make use of the stable national economic condition and strategic location to cooperate with Beijing on expanding and further developing regional connectivity in basic infrastructure, digital economy, transport and logistics projects, as well as on further developing the production sector and human resources. According to the minister, Thailand's initiatives which are going in the same direction of the Chinese plans include the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) development, the digital economy transformation and the Thailand 4.0 plans, paving the way for the Kingdom to become a leading digital hub, or e-hub, in the ASEAN Community (AC) through expanding cooperation to other countries in the region, namely Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam, known as the CLMV group, as well as cooperation with China, India and other countries in South Asia as the integrated 10-member ASEAN bloc. The minister revealed that during a Thai business delegation's upcoming visit to China, led by Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who oversees economic affairs, she will also sign a document on extending China-Thailand joint economic development plan for another five years and a Sino-Thai joint action plan on cooperation in basic infrastructure, industrial cluster, logistics, high-speed Internet, e-commerce, science and technology and energy development projects. Besides, Thailand's permanent secretary for commerce will sign an agreement with Alibaba Group, the world's China-based largest retail e-commerce empire, on expanding their cooperation in promoting and developing potential of Thai small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to enable them to run their businesses online efficiently in line with the government's Thailand 4.0 and digital economy policies. (TNA)