Thailand and China Amid a Changing Global Landscape
Thailand and China Amid a Changing Global Landscape
Former Thai ambassador to China's contribution to CCG open-access book that gathers insights from 27 ambassadors to Beijing.
While the Chinese Premier is attending the 27th China-ASEAN Summit, here are some perspectives from the former Thai ambassador to China, drawn from the CCG book The Future of China’s Development and Globalization: Views from Ambassadors to China. This open-access book offers valuable reflections from 27 ambassadors to Beijing on critical topics such as bilateral relations, collaboration, and global development.
Mr. Arthayudh Srisamoot was the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the People’s Republic of China from 2019 to 2023. In 1988, he started his career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Department of ASEAN Affairs. He was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Federal Republic of Austria, Slovak Republic and Republic of Slovenia and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and International Agencies in Vienna from 2014 to 2017. Originally from Bangkok, he has also spent time in the United States where he received his Bachelor of Science in Economics from Monmouth College and Master of Arts from the University of Chicago in Illinois.
Thailand and China Amid a Changing Global Landscape
Arthayudh Srisamoot
Global Landscape
The world today is far from being static. A series of disruptors have shaken the global landscape, beset by unprecedented and interconnected changes that test every nation’s strength and solidarity. As we emerge from the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, new challenges have arisen in the form of geopolitical tensions brewing across different regions and economic sanctions fueling rising inflation, which have exacerbated the already constrained supply chain bottlenecks, and jeopardized global trade and energy and food security.
We have witnessed the advent of new trends that conform to ideas of deglobalization and slowbalization,1 forcing certain countries to delink from one another (managed-decoupling) and source from allies closer to home (friend-shoring). In Asia and Europe, most trade is already intra-regional and this percentage is continuously rising. Intraregional trade made up 58.5% of Asia’s total trade in 2020, the highest share since 1990.2 Countries have also become more inward-looking, and invisible fences have been constructed out of fear of the unknown and the unpredictable.
Against this backdrop, climate change, global warming, and natural disasters are playing out at a faster rate than we could have ever imagined. We are in a race against Mother Nature, and in a race against ourselves. While disruptions are a natural feature of history and part of the never-ending cycle of the world, the key is how each country chooses to deal with these disruptions. For a medium-sized nation such as Thailand, we recognize that multilateralism and aiming for sustainable growth will always be the prevailing solutions in response to “black swans” in an era of disruption.3
The Asian Century
It is undeniable that the world’s center of gravity is tilting toward Asia. China’s rapid and spectacular development in recent decades, and the growing economies of India and Southeast Asia, have powered unprecedented growth, bringing new opportunities and prosperity to this region that have made Asia increasingly the center of the world economy. It is predicted that by 2040, the region could account for more than half of global GDP and about 40% of global consumption.4
As all eyes fixate on the world’s most populous continent with the fastest growing economy, nations around the world are eager to gain a foothold in the region, deemed to be the epicenter of the most important global affairs of the twenty-first century. The emergence of geopolitical Asian-focused foreign policies, namely United States’ Pivot to Asia, western countries’ Indo-Pacific Strategy, and Russia’s Turn to the East signaled the enhanced strategic emphasis and increased engagement in this region.
Faced with a choice between solidarity and division, and cooperation and confrontation, the international community expects Asia to play a leading role, to which Southeast Asian nations and China are actively doing their part. Home to more than 650 million people, Southeast Asia is one of the world’s most culturally diverse, economically dynamic, and growth-oriented regions in Asia. With its vast endowments of natural resources, an expanding middle class, a young, dynamic, and increasingly well-educated population, a diversified economy and intensive regional integration initiatives, the region is well positioned for prosperity and will exert growing influence on global development.
For these reasons, even countries within Asia have begun to formulate new foreign policies to increase engagement with Southeast Asian nations. India’s Act East Policy and South Korea’s New Southern Policy are just a few examples, of increasingly strategic moves to enhance cooperation with the Southeast Asian countries.
2022 saw a significant move by Asian countries, which took to the global stage and shined a spotlight on the region to drive global diplomacy, marking an “Asian Moment”. On 23–24 June 2022, China hosted the BRICS Summit; on 13 November, 2022, Cambodia hosted the East Asia Summit; on 15–16 November 2022, Indonesia hosted the G20 Summit; and on 18–19 November 2022, Thailand hosted the Asia– Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting.
Both Thailand, ASEAN countries, and China are acutely aware that this “Asian Moment” must not just be a laurel of glory to be rested upon, but rather a shared responsibility by all countries in the region to rise up to both the occasion and the challenge. It is with this mindset that Thailand stands ready to work with ASEAN and China to champion open regionalism and jointly uphold the common interests of developing countries; only then can peace and prosperity in this region be achieved in harmony.
Open—Connect—Balance
It can be said that the formation of APEC drew inspiration from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), whose series of ministerial consultations, which began in 1967, demonstrated the feasibility and value of regular consultations. By 1989, the ASEAN ministerial consultation process had expanded to embrace 12 members (the then six members of ASEAN and six dialogue partners), which gave birth to the idea of APEC and led to the eventual establishment of the 12 founding members of APEC in Canberra in 1989.5
33 years later, on 18–19 November 2022, Thailand hosted the 29th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) in Bangkok. As the first in-person Leaders’ Meeting in four years since the outbreak of COVID-19, Thailand successfully brought together leaders of 21 economies, as well as participants from international organizations including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), World Health Organization (WHO), and World Trade Organization (WTO).
To further enrich and elevate the deliverables of this occasion, two important leaders, namely the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a global energy powerhouse, and the President of the French Republic, a key player in the European Union, were invited as guests of the APEC Chair to discuss how APEC and its external partners can work together to promote sustainable trade and investment amid on-going economic challenges. In addition to AELM, two important activities were organized in parallel—the APEC CEO Summit and APEC Voices of the Future 2022—to actively engage APEC stakeholders, business leaders, and youth from different sectors.
A theme of “Open. Connect. Balance.” guided Thailand’s hosting of APEC in 2022, which aimed to OPEN to all opportunities, CONNECT across all dimensions, and achieve BALANCE in all aspects. Thailand worked to strengthen partnership and cooperation both on trade and investment, which are the bread and butter of APEC, as well as emerging issues of common concern, i.e., climate change, geoeconomics, and pandemic readiness, to strengthen APEC’s standing as the premier economic forum in the region and as an incubator of ideas.
The Chalom, a traditional bamboo-woven basket used for carrying goods, was carefully chosen as the logo for Thailand’s APEC host year. A symbol of trade and commerce, it encapsulates local wisdom and creativity in transforming raw materials into innovative and practical items. As one of the founding members of APEC since it was established in 1989, Thailand recognizes that APEC’s work is a long-term process that requires continual and coordinated efforts, much like the tightly interlaced bamboo strands of the Chalom, which reflects the closely-knit relationships between the 21 member economies of APEC.
Consensus was achieved on the APEC Joint Ministerial Statement and the APEC Leaders’ Declaration. The leaders also jointly endorsed the Bangkok Goals on the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy to serve as a model for sustainable and green development for the global community.
The Bangkok Goals were a landmark deliverable and counted as APEC’s first ever comprehensive framework on sustainability, accompanying the Putrajaya Vision and Aotearoa Plan of Action until 2040. It provided a clear path to advance inclusive and sustainable growth in relevant APEC’s workstreams in a bold, ambitious, and transformative manner, focusing on four key areas: climate change mitigation, sustainable trade and investment, environmental conservation, and waste management. Upon adoption, the Bangkok Goals website was launched and can be accessed at www.ban gkokgoals.apec.org. It also serves as an important springboard to the United States’ APEC host year, which has adopted the theme “Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All”.
The BCG Economy Model was highlighted as a catalyst to shift our mindset and behavior toward more responsible business models where growth objectives are pursued in tandem with environmental sustainability. The concept also aligns with China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI) to foster global development and achieve the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Securing strong supply chains and ensuring safe trade and travel between countries remains a high priority. Thailand proposed the implementation of the Safe Passage Taskforce’s recommendations to increase the resistance of the region’s travel infrastructure to future disruptions. In addition, significant headway was also made in the Free Trade Agreement of the Asia–Pacific (FTAAP) multi-year work plan in the post-COVID-19 context, one of the key deliverables of Thailand’s APEC host year, which will help drive the region toward more a sustainable and inclusive economic recovery and long-term resilience against future pandemics and other disruptions. It also reflected Thailand’s efforts to pass the baton from the Beijing FTAAP Road Map, which was proposed by China in 2014.
As one of the biggest economies in this region, China’s contribution to APEC was indispensable. During my tenure as Thai APEC SOM Leader from 2017 to 2018, I witnessed firsthand the constructive role China plays, as an avid supporter of the multilateral trading system, especially in the framework of APEC. In the same line, China’s support contributed to Thailand’s successful hosting of APEC 2022 and helped to guide APEC into the next stage of growth.
The APEC AELM ended on a high note and injected new confidence into the positive cooperation of economies in this region. This was well reflected in President Xi Jinping’s speech titled “Shouldering Responsibility and Working Together in Solidarity to Build an Asia-Pacific Community with a Shared Future” whereby he quoted a Thai proverb “You reap what you sow”, noting that the APEC economies have jointly sown the seed of the Putrajaya Vision and that it is time to cultivate, nurture, and foster the blossoming flower of common development in the Asia–Pacific region.
Community with a Shared Future
While the APEC Meeting was a gathering of leaders to achieve common goals on a multilateral front, it also presented the opportune setting for face-to-face bilateral meetings between leaders, that prior to this had mostly been meeting through video screens. The resurrection of in-person head-of-state diplomacy was of particular significance for Thailand and China.
President Xi Jinping’s visit to Thailand, his first since assuming office, and the first of a Chinese President in 19 years, was a milestone of historic significance in advancing our bilateral relations to new heights. The visit was also most timely, as it occurred shortly after the successful conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Part of China in October 2022, and coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Thailand-China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership.
President Xi had a private Royal Audience with His Majesty the King of Thailand, a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha and headed a Cabinet of Ministers meeting, whereby the two countries reaffirmed their close partnership and expressed their determination to work together to build a more meaningful partnership in the future. This was evidenced by the issuance of three important documents, which were key deliverables of this visit, namely: (1) a Joint Statement between the Kingdom of Thailand and the People’s Republic of China on Working Towards a Thailand-China Community with a Shared Future for Enhanced Stability, Prosperity, and Sustainability; (2) a Joint Action Plan on Thailand-China Strategic Cooperation between the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Government of the People’s Republic of China (2022–2026) and (3) a Cooperation Plan between the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on Jointly Promoting the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Apart from the aforementioned key documents, three Memorandums of Understanding were also signed during the visit to promote cooperation in areas such as e-commerce, investment, academics, and science and technology.
The visit provided a fresh impetus to chart the future direction of bilateral relations rooted in the idea that “Thailand and China are One Family” (中泰一家亲) and our long-standing friendship of over 700 years that began during the Sukhothai Era and Yuan Dynasty.6 This year marks the 48th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Modern China, and bilateral relations today continue to take the form of a comprehensive and strategic partnership, encompassing all sectors of cooperation and involving both central and local governments, the private sector, academia, and civil society.
People-to-people exchange is considered the backbone and a solid foundation for Thailand-China relations. Thailand is home to one of the world’s largest overseas Chinese communities and Chinese tradition and culture have been embraced by Thai people and become a part of their livelihood. 2022 marked the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China Culture Center in Bangkok, the first of its kind established by China in Southeast Asia. Thailand is also home to the largest number of Confucius Institutes of any ASEAN country. Before COVID-19, Thailand was China’s top tourist destination, receiving over 10 million tourists annually. Thailand looks forward to the speedy resumption of international travel and hopes to welcome Chinese tourists back to Thailand under our tourism campaign “Visit Thailand Year 2023: Amazing New Chapters”.
On the economic front, China has been Thailand’s number one trading partner for ten consecutive years, and the primary export market for Thailand’s agricultural products, specifically tropical fruits, cassava, rubber, and rice products. In 2022, bilateral trade amounted to 134 billion USD with a three percent increase,7 despite the negative impact from COVID-19. China was Thailand’s largest source of FDI applications through the Board of Investment (BOI) of Thailand in 2022, with combined investment totaling 2 billion USD, constituting around 18% of total investment value. There remains, however, room for increased engagement to restore the economy to pre-COVID levels and drive an upward trend in bilateral and regional economic development.
In line with the global transition toward a low-carbon society, bilateral cooperation between Thailand and China in green and sustainable development has been dynamic and positive with Chinese enterprises actively participating in Thailand’s renewable energy market. The Chaiyaphum wind farm, for example, has constructed 32 of China’s Goldwind turbines with a total capacity of 80 MW.8 Meanwhile, in the new energy vehicle sector, Chinese automakers such as SAIC, Great Wall Motor, and BYD have successively established production lines in Thailand, accelerating the pace of low-carbon development in Thailand.
At the same time, Thai enterprises such as Banpu, an integrated energy company with 20 years of experience in China, have helped to accelerate the transformation to greener and smarter growth in accordance with China’s transition toward a low-carbon society.9 Meanwhile, Charoen Pokphand Group, which has 40 years of pig farming experience and expertise in China, and is the first company to establish the Chinese pig farming industry chain,10 has contributed favorably to China’s food security initiative. Such achievements are not only the result of the profound friendship between our people, but also reflect the joint efforts between the Thai and Chinese governments in creating an amiable environment for business between our two countries.
To strengthen economic linkages, both countries have established strategic synergies between Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor and key Chinese economic clusters, namely the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). At the same time, steady progress has been made in the construction of the Thailand-China High Speed Railway, which will link up with the Laos-China Railway, as well as the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (NILSTC), to form an artery connecting the Indo-China Peninsula that will facilitate the flow of people and goods, promote economic and trade development and achieve common prosperity. Such practical cooperation is a shining testament to the positive benefits of our bilateral cooperation and translates into a substantive contribution to regional development and prosperity.
Drinking Water from the Same River
A friend in need is a friend indeed. Thailand has always underscored the importance of neighborhood diplomacy. We believe that foreign policy begins at home, and good diplomacy starts with our neighbors. It is for this reason that Thailand’s foreign policies are underpinned by the notion of joint development and “leaving no one behind”, which remains the main outlook in the numerous multilateral sub-regional framework that Thailand partakes.
This same concept correlates with China’s firm stance to promote shared development with neighboring countries. The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has created enormous opportunities for its neighbors, who are welcomed to board China’s express train of development.
One important sub-regional framework that Thailand, China, and its neighboring countries have actively participated in is the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC). While differing in name, it refers to the same river, which originates in China’s Qinghai-Tibet Plateau where it is known as the Lancang River, from whence it flows downstream across Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, where it is known as the Mekong River.
I personally had the honor of attending the inauguration of the MLC back in 2015 and watched as it blossomed into one of the most dynamic cooperative mechanisms in the sub-region today. This year marks the 7th anniversary of the establishment of the MLC and despite its young age, the MLC has delivered substantial benefits to the people and played a significant role in promoting socio-economic development in the Mekong-Lancang sub-region, particularly through the MLC Special Fund.
As co-chair with China for 2023–2024, Thailand looks forward to bolstering good neighborliness and pragmatic cooperation, fostering a community with a shared future of the Mekong-Lancang countries, and contributing to greater prosperity of the region and well-being of its people.
At the same time, 2023 also marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), a cooperation framework with reference to the region’s three principal rivers that flow through Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam to promote subregional prosperity despite varying economic capabilities. ACMECS attaches great importance to engagement with and the contribution of external partners, such as China who is an important development partner, as well as other relevant stakeholders, to ensure that the environment in the sub-regional is conducive to productive cooperation and healthy competition.
As the original initiator of both frameworks, Thailand advocates building synergy between ACMECS and MLC to avoid duplication and to join forces in promoting sustainable development in the region. Such linkages will help to achieve a “strategic equilibrium” in the sub-region and foster a conducive environment for “win-win-win” benefits, as a win for Mekong countries is a win for development partners, and a win for the sub-region as a whole.
After all, as the Chinese saying goes, as neighbors that drink water from the same river11 and are as close as one family, we are naturally linked and well positioned to work together and deepen cooperation.
Looking Forward
The global landscape today is undergoing transformative changes and complex uncertainties unseen in a century that will far-reaching impacts on the lives of the People, the health of the Planet, and the path to Prosperity. A holistic approach with concerted and coordinated efforts is needed now more than ever to tackle global challenges.
To this end, Thailand has submitted its candidature to host the Specialized Expo 2028 in the famed paradise of the Andaman Sea—Phuket—which not only is exceptional for its scenic nature, but also for its diversified ecosystem, its pioneering people, and culture that has carried the city through various challenges only to emerge stronger and more resilient in the face of adversity.
The Phuket Expo 2028 will advocate innovative and collaborative solutions toward a sustainable and equitable future, under the theme of the “Future of Life: Living in Harmony, Sharing Prosperity” focusing on People, the Planet, and Prosperity, to help chart a new path toward achieving the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.12 It will serve as a platform for all nations to stimulate dialogue and foster tangible solutions for the benefit of all. We aim to inspire everyone to explore their own innovative and collaborative ways to a future of peace and harmony, where health and wealth are in balance, where all lives can thrive and prosper, and where the environment and nature are restored.
Amid accelerated global changes and a downward trend in the global economy, no country can tackle these challenges alone or remain immune to their impact. At such a critical moment, nations need solidarity, not division; dialogue, not confrontation. Thailand commends China’s role as a responsible major country and for holding high the banner of multilateralism and friendly cooperation. Thailand, therefore, welcomes the 3rd Belt and Road Forum in 2023, which will mark the tenth anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s proposal of the BRI, and sustain the shining glory of the “Asian Moment” by injecting new vitality to the prosperity of this region and the wider world.
As Thailand and China prepare for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Thailand-China diplomatic relations in 2025, I am confident that our elevated bilateral cooperation will guide us toward the successful building of a ThailandChina Community with a Shared Future for Enhanced Stability, Prosperity, and Sustainability. At the same time, our steadfast commitment to extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, will help us effectively navigate through an increasingly complex global landscape, and set an exemplary role for fruitful bilateral and multilateral cooperation in this region and beyond.
Douglas Irwin, “The pandemic adds momentum to the deglobalization trend”, The Centre for Economic Policy Research, May 2020.
Asian Development Bank, “Asian Economic Integration Report 2022: Advancing Digital Services Trade in Asia and the Pacific”, February 2022.
Don Pramudwinai, “Taming the Black Swan: Multilateral diplomacy for sustainable growth in the era of disruption”, 2021.
McKinsey Global Institute, “The future of Asia: Asian flows and networks are defining the next phase of globalization”, 2019.
Andrew Elek, “Back to Canberra: Founding APEC”, Australian National University (ANU), Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, September 2005.
Edward Thadeus Flood, Sukhothai-Mongol relations: a note on relevant Chinese and Thai sources with translations, 1969.
The General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, Trade Statistics, November 2022.
The Electricity Generating Public Company Limited, https://www.egco.com/th/.
Banpu China, https://www.banpu.com.cn/pc/about_us_en.html
Charoen Pokphand Group, https://www.cpgroupglobal.com/en/sustainability/health-living-well/ innovation.
Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Information Sharing Platform, http://www.lmc water.org.cn/.
Bureau International des Expositions, “Five visions for Specialised Expo 2027/28” https://www. bie-paris.org/.
The Future of China’s Development and Globalization: Views from Ambassadors to China is available for free download on the Springer website.
