Thai king to pay state visit to China

King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua of Thailand will pay a state visit to China this month, the first by a Thai monarch since diplomatic relations were established in 1975.

During the Thai king's visit from Nov 13 to 17, President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang will hold separate meetings with him, according to China's Foreign Ministry.

The king has chosen China as the first major country for his official visit, which "fully shows the great emphasis both sides place on the development of China-Thailand relations", Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday at a daily news conference in Beijing.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Thailand diplomatic relations and the golden jubilee of China-Thailand friendship, which "presents new opportunities for the development of bilateral relations", Mao said.

China looks forward to taking this visit as an opportunity to carry forward the traditional friendship, strengthen political mutual trust and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, she said.

Beijing also looks to achieve more fruitful results in jointly building a China-Thailand community with a shared future, better benefit the people of both countries and contribute to the region's peace, stability, development and prosperity, she added.

According to a statement released on Thursday by the Thai Foreign Ministry, King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana will undertake a series of official engagements and visit important cultural and religious sites in Beijing.

They are also expected to visit institutions that showcase China's national development, particularly in science, technology, innovation and education.

"This historic state visit — the first visit by a Thai monarch to China — reflects the deep-rooted friendship and mutual understanding shared between the two countries at all levels," the Thai Foreign Ministry statement said.

The visit "will further strengthen Thailand-China bilateral relations for years to come, bringing lasting benefits to the peoples of both countries", it added.

China has remained Thailand's largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years.

The bilateral trade volume exceeded $133.98 billion last year, marking a year-on-year increase of 6.1 percent, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Mao, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, noted that the two countries are "close, friendly neighbors". In recent years, China-Thailand relations "have maintained a high level of development" under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries, she said.

During President Xi's visit to Thailand in 2022, leaders from the two sides reached consensus on building a China-Thailand community with a shared future.

Last week, Xi met with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on the sidelines of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting, which was held in Gyeongju, the Republic of Korea.

"The leaders of China and Thailand have maintained close exchanges, like visiting relatives, and many members of the Thai Royal Family have personally promoted friendly exchanges as well," Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Zhang Jianwei said in a signed article published in Thai media earlier this year.

Contact the writers at zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn