Officials and academics from China and Thailand gathered in Bangkok on Friday for a major conference marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and another five decades of mutually beneficial cooperation and ties.
Jointly organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and Thailand's National Research Council, the event is part of a year-long commemoration to celebrate one of Asia's most enduring bilateral partnerships.
This follows the recent historic visit of King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua of Thailand to China from Nov 13 to 17, the first Thai monarch to do so since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two sides.
"The royal visit of the Thai king to China was not just a diplomatic event, but a milestone to commemorate our friendship and to signal the start of a new era of Chinese-Thai collaboration," said Surasak Phancharoenworakul, Thai Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation, at the event.
China and Thailand established diplomatic ties in 1975, and over the decades the relationship has expanded in all areas, from political cooperation to trade, infrastructure, education, and cultural exchange.
"China-Thailand relations are at a new historical starting point. We should together write a new chapter, start a new voyage, and welcome the next golden 50 years of China-Thailand relations," Gao Xiang, the CASS president, told the attendees in his speech.
Looking ahead, CASS says it aims to strengthen relations with Thailand in three ways - through mutual education and development cooperation, aligning strategies to expand collaboration in emerging fields and by expanding international cooperation to shoulder global development responsibilities.
Thailand's push for stronger research capacity is now translating into real projects with China - from university exchanges to joint labs and tech trials.
Academics say these practical, on-the-ground collaborations will shape how both sides work together going forward.
The current collaboration between China and Thailand involves the visit of more than 100 Chinese experts to Thailand for knowledge exchanges with Thai academics to strengthen future cooperation.
"We send a lot of Thai students to study in China and at the same time Chinese students come to Thailand. We share not only the knowledge, but we share culture," said Suthasinee Phonsakunphaisan, history lecturer from Chiang Mai University, in an interview with China Global Television Network.
Thailand said that it is positioning itself to play a bigger role with China by increasing collaboration to support regional stability, economic growth, and deeper cultural understanding.
Bangkok forum looks at another 50 years of China-Thailand ties
