Chinese Premier Li vows to deepen ties with Thailand during 3-day visit

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Thailand on Friday for a three-day official visit, pledging to deepen bilateral cooperation and strengthen ties between the two countries.

Li, visiting at the invitation of Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, said he looked forward to in-depth discussions with Thai leaders on advancing their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

He also pledged further progress toward building a "China-Thailand community with a shared future."

The two leaders are expected to discuss trade, investment, connectivity, technology, security and regional cooperation, according to Thailand's Foreign Ministry.

The countries established diplomatic relations on July 1, 1975, and upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in 2012.

China is Thailand's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching $153.26 billion in 2025, up 14.4% year-on-year, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry figures.

Trade includes electronics, machinery, vehicles, agricultural products and tropical fruits, while tourism remains another major area of cooperation.

Thailand's Cabinet has approved seven draft cooperation agreements ahead of Li's visit, covering agricultural trade, food safety, electric and smart vehicles, vocational education, security and consular arrangements, according to The Nation Thailand.

Li will travel to Manila on Sunday to attend the 29th China-ASEAN Summit, scheduled for November 15-16, according to Beijing's Foreign Ministry.