Before leaving for Beijing to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha of Thailand took a written interview with Chinese Media. The full text is as follows:
1. Would you please update us on the BRI cooperation between Thailand and China? What do you think are the positive impacts of the BRI? In what areas do you think China and Thailand should put more efforts in their future cooperation?
· Thailand supports the BRI as an important strategy to stimulate economic growth in Asia and the world. The BRI seeks to promote connectivity between Asia, Europe, and Africa, as well as closer relations between countries that are situated along the Silk Road, with a view to advance sustainable development through increased trade, investment, and various projects on connectivity. Thailand shares these objectives, which are similarly included in our 20 year National Strategy, our Thailand 4.0 policy, and cooperation frameworks at the sub-regional and regional levels in which Thailand’s plays an active role.
· Over the past five years, the BRI has made rapid progress. This is evident in China’s numerous investments on infrastructure projects, economic corridors, and industrial zones in countries along the Silk Road. In addition, the BRI has expanded to include cooperation in more areas beyond connectivity and economic development. For example, cooperation on legal affairs, culture, energy, taxes, and public health.
· On Thailand’s part, we are pleased that an increasing number of Chinese investors have expressed interest to invest in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), and the progress made on the high-speed railway project between Thailand and China. The 2nd BRF will also see the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) between Thailand, Laos, and China, on the railway between Nongkhai and Vientiane in Laos. Thailand hopes that this project will be finalised as soon as possible, since it is an important route that will connect China with Thailand and ASEAN.
· As a priority, Thailand is working towards a digital economy by developing our digital infrastructure and improving access to digital technology. This past March, Thailand and China had a meeting in Kunming, Yunnan Province, to promote bilateral cooperation in the digital field.
· Thailand sees the role of Southeast Asia in the implementation of the BRI strategy, as the region has six economic corridors that will link China with other regions. Given Thailand’s strategic location at the centre of Southeast Asia and links to the aforementioned six economic corridors, there is potential to expand Sino-Thai cooperation at the sub-regional and regional levels. This is particularly the case with the EEC, which will serve as a production base and a distribution base for exporting products to the CLMV countries. For this reason, Thailand is pleased that a conglomerate of Thai, Chinese, and Japanese businessmen have won the bid to construct a high-speed train linking the three airports; Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao.
· In addition to the EEC, Thailand and China can jointly promote seamless connectivity between the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the EEC, and increase China’s cooperation with the region by leveraging on the high potential of the region’s various frameworks and initiatives, namely, ACMECS, Mekong-Lancang Cooperation, and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025.
· Thailand considers connectivity as one of the most crucial elements for sustainable development. Cooperation through the BRI will reduce logistics cost and facilitate the exchange of people, innovation and best practices that will contribute to Thailand’s efforts to “connect the connectivities” within the region. Thus, by working together and forging international partnerships, Thailand and China can jointly promote connectivity and sustainable development in the Mekong sub-region and beyond.
2. The Thai side endeavors to promote “connect the connectivities”, and make Thailand a transportation hub in Southeast Asia. What kind of role do you expect the Belt and Road to play in this regard?
· As the Chair of ASEAN in 2019, Thailand seeks to develop a Seamless ASEAN through regional connectivity. In this regard, the ASEAN Master Plan on Connectivity 2025 (MPAC 2025) will be our blueprint of implementation. Such connectivity includes both infrastructure development as well as rules and regulations harmonization. An increasingly connected ASEAN would boost the region’s competitiveness and strengthen a sense of community and unity, thus enabling ASEAN to keep up with the ever-changing world.
· Furthermore, Thailand seeks to expand connectivity beyond ASEAN and has initiated the concept of “Connecting the Connectivities,” to promote greater synergies between MPAC 2025 and the key connectivity strategies of our partners such as the BRI and ACMECS Master Plan (2019-2023). This will be an important catalyst for ASEAN integration and regional prosperity and progress so as to maintain security, and promote regional connectivity.
· Thailand and ASEAN can collaborate with China through BRI in exchanging best practices and experiences in areas such as the harmonisation of rules and regulations, digital innovation, people-to-people linkages, challenges from the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), and sustainable development. Furthermore, Thailand is keen to join hands with fellow ASEAN Member States and China to increase activities between our peoples and strengthen people-to-people relations. For example, 2019 has been designated as the ASEAN-China Year of Media Exchanges and the Cultural Year of ASEAN.
3. In your opinion, what role has the BRI played in pushing for a sound and steady recovery of the world economy over the past five years since its inception?
· The BRI was initiated with the aim to cope with various challenges amid the current context of globalization and other emerging challenges relating to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
· For this reason, Thailand is pleased that the leaders who attended the 1st BRF in 2017 expressed their intention to promote and to expand trade among one another, to support free trade and multilateral mechanisms, as well as to eliminate non-tariff trade barriers. They also expressed their opposition against unilateralism and trade protectionism, and supported connectivity between Asia, Europe, and Africa that is open and inclusive of all stakeholders.
· These are all important issues for economic growth and sustainable development that will generate the flow of raw material, finished products, labour and people, thereby enabling countries along the BRI to increase their access to the global value and supply chain.
4. The Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation is going to be held in Beijing later this April. What is your expectation for the Forum?
· The 2nd BRF will provide opportunities for leaders from 38 countries to exchange their points of view on collaboration under the BRI, to enhance international relations, and to strengthen cooperation on sustainable, economic development. The 2nd BRF will also enable leaders to discuss the future direction of collaboration, and serve as another platform for Thailand to strengthen ASEAN’s cooperation with China to promote connectivity in all dimensions.
· Thailand plans to articulate our vision to drive forward the BRI, such as efforts to boost competitiveness and expand market access for the private sector, our policy to facilitate trade, investment, and entrepreneurship among countries under the BRI, to achieve sustainable funding for projects, to promote public private partnerships, to develop human resources, and to promote the concept of “Connecting the Connectivities” under the ASEAN framework. This concept seeks to ensure that connectivity strategies in the wider region are synchronised and complementary to each other, based on the principle of openness, inclusiveness, and mutual benefit for sustainable security and development that leaves no one behind.
5. The world today is facing major changes and adjustments. In this connection, China calls for the building of the Belt and Road and a community of shared future for all mankind. How do you comment on China’s role in the international community?
· Thailand commends China and President Xi Jinping for initiating the grand strategy of the Belt and Road Initiative as well as for the unwavering determination to pursue all related undertakings in support of this initiative. This reflects China’s dream and ambition to enhance regional cooperation and connectivity on a trans-continental scale, to promote sustainable development and the well-being of the people across the region and the world at large.
· China’s active engagement with the international community in developing the Belt and Road Initiative, emphasising extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits has created a sense of ownership among BRI members and therefore, a sustainable framework of cooperation. It has created a sense of strengthened multilateralism to address shared challenges in our current world of rapid and complex changes.
· As the BRI aims to link China with Asia, Europe and the rest of the world through connected transport infrastructure, trade and investment facilitation, and people-to-people connectivity, we need to work closely together to synergise our development policies in these areas, so that they complement each other. A well-coordinated policy on connectivity is fundamental to the new global architecture. An architecture that respects the domestic priorities of individual countries while ensuring that major cross-border spillovers and global public goods are addressed.
6. Would you please share with us the developments of the Thailand - China railway programme? What is your take on it?
· The Thai Government is committed to the concrete progress of the China-Thailand Railway Project. As the Chinese proverb says, “tong shin xia li, shi-shi-shun-li” or “Unity Makes Everything a Success”. Thus, we are pleased that the project has made good progress, and have taken the opportunity to learn more about high-speed railways and related technology.
· The China-Thailand Railway Project is strategically important for infrastructure connectivity and development. In addition to creating economic opportunities and encouraging mobility, the project will also be vital in increasing connectivity between China and ASEAN through the China - Laos railway and other economic corridors in the region, namely the North-South Economic Corridor, Northern Economic Corridor, and Eastern Economic Corridor.