King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua of Thailand arrived in Beijing on Thursday to begin a historic five-day state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The king, who is being accompanied by his wife Queen Suthida, was greeted at the airport by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
This is the first visit to China by a Thai Monarch since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1975.
During the visit, President Xi and Premier Li Qiang will meet with King Maha Vajiralongkorn separately to discuss bilateral ties and other issues of shared interest.
China is the first major country that King Maha Vajiralongkorn is paying an official visit to since ascending the throne in 2016, which fully reflects the great importance both countries attach to developing bilateral relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said while announcing the king's trip a week ago.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Thailand diplomatic relations and "the Golden Jubilee of China-Thailand Friendship."
China has remained Thailand's largest trading partner for many years, and it is also the Southeast Asian nation's second-largest export market and destination for over 40 percent of its agricultural exports.
Thai king arrives in Beijing for historic state visit
