The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy's 83rd taskforce on Monday wrapped up its four-day goodwill visit to Thailand and left for Singapore.
The taskforce, consisting of PLA Navy ships Qi Jiguang and Yimengshan, docked at the Chuk Samet port after arriving in the Sattahip naval base in eastern Thailand's Chonburi province on October 16.
This was the third visit by the Qi Jiguang ship to Thailand, and the first by the Yimengshan ship. During their stay, the crew members visited the Thai navy's HTMS Chakri Naruebet aircraft carrier and other military facilities. They also visited the Royal Thai Naval Academy and local schools, and engaged in friendly sports matches and other exchange activities with their Thai counterparts.
At 10:00 local time, the Thai side held a grand farewell ceremony at the Sattahip Port as Qi Jiguang and Yimengshan slowly departed from the pier.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand.
"Through various exchange activities, I feel that the bond of China-Thailand friendship is growing stronger. When explaining the capabilities of our ships to visiting civilians, I could deeply sense the feeling of security and pride that our nation's naval vessels bring to overseas Chinese," said Wu Songbo, a crew member from Chinese PLA Navy's 83rd taskforce.
During the visit, the Qi Jiguang ship hosted a deck reception featuring displays of traditional Chinese culture and artistic performances by cadets, which were warmly received by the guests in attendance.
Both the Qi Jiguang and the Yimengshan ships organized multiple open-day events, attracting over 6,000 visitors who came aboard for tours.
Chinese PLA Navy ships wrap up visit to Thailand
Residents living in Canada's biggest city of Toronto have expressed optimism that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's official visit to China can unlock new economic opportunities, particularly in key fields such as artificial intelligence and infrastructure.
Carney is set to arrive in China on Wednesday to begin a four-day visit at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, marking the first trip by a Canadian prime minister to China since 2017.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Carney during his stay to provide new strategic guidance for further improving and developing China-Canada relations.
Giving their assessment of the significance of the visit and the outcomes they hope to see achieved, local people in Toronto pointed to the importance of deepening cooperation and view the high-tech sector as one of the most pivotal areas where ties can be enhanced.
"I think, of course, China is probably the leader in AI and new technologies. So, I think Canada can really benefit from Chinese expertise on some of the chip manufacturing or just the use of AI in the medical field, in every other finance field and everything. So, I think this can be very important for Canada to learn from China," said Raman, the provincial liaison manager at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
"I think it is a good idea to strengthen relations with other countries and other trade partners that have been probably more consistent. And especially with things going on in electronics right now and chip manufacturing, I do think that it makes sense at this point in time to be reaching out to China," said Jen, a local nurse.
Some see Carney's visit as an opportunity to broaden the economic agenda in various other key areas.
"I'm actually pretty looking forward to it because they could talk a lot about trade. That could be a good opportunity for Canada and China to explore some other export opportunities on energy, and also, maybe pipeline building, infrastructure building, and also, real estate investment and agriculture," said Xiong Lulu, an equity research analyst.
Looking ahead, many residents emphasize that much depends on whether Carney's visit can translate into concrete agreements.
"It would be nice. I hope there's some kind of good relationship between China and Canada. That would be like a great opportunity that we would miss if we didn't create that relationship with them. So, hopefully, in hindsight, [in] 2026 it does happen," said John, a software developer.
"I think if they can settle some trade deals, that will be great. So, I think it will be great for the Canadian economy," said Xiong.
President Xi and Carney last met on the sidelines of the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in the Republic of Korea (ROK) in October, with both sides agreeing to resume exchanges and cooperation in various fields and jointly advance the development of the China-Canada strategic partnership.
Toronto residents optimistic about Canada-China cooperation prospects
