In Bangkok visit, China’s Wang Yi seeks to cast Beijing as Thailand’s ‘big friend’
- China’s foreign minister is expected to press the Thai government to sign an agreement on a rail link
- The visit comes as Thai Prime Minister Prayuth struggles to keep a lid on rising anti-government protests
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi was due to arrive on Wednesday night in Thailand, a country central to Beijing’s strategy for Asia at a time the kingdom is facing a double hit from a pandemic-flattened economy and political turmoil.
Bordering Laos, the kingdom is China’s gateway to the Mekong region, while its endless coastline offers the promise of trade, ports, economic zones and mass tourism.
Thailand used to be staunchly in the US camp, bound together through defence and economic ties forged during the Vietnam war-era.
But in recent years, it has edged cautiously under the umbrella of China, the regional giant with the investment funds Thailand desperately needs for its special economic zones as well as a vast, travel-hungry population ready to fill Thailand’s empty resorts and beaches once the coronavirus recedes.
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Chinese foreign minister meets embattled Thai prime minister
“Facing a sharp economic contraction exceeding even that of the Asian financial crisis, it is logical that China stands to play an important role in Thailand’s economic recovery,” said Sebastian Strangio, an independent analyst who writes about Southeast Asia.