China News Service, Bangkok, February 29th
: What is the long-term significance of mutual visa exemption between China and Thailand?
——Exclusive interview with Gong Thaparansi, former deputy prime minister of Thailand and current president of the Thailand-China Friendship Association
China News Service reporter Li Yingmin
China and Thailand are friendly neighbors, and the concept of "China and Thailand are one family" is deeply rooted in the hearts of the two countries.
Representatives of the Chinese and Thai governments signed the "Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Royal Government of Thailand on Mutual Visa Exemption for Ordinary Passport Holders" in Bangkok, Thailand, on January 28. The agreement will officially take effect on March 1.
According to the agreement, Chinese personnel holding ordinary official passports and ordinary passports, and Thai personnel holding ordinary passports, can enter the other country without a visa, and their single stay shall not exceed 30 days (the cumulative stay shall not exceed 90 days in every 180 days).
"Mutual visa exemption between China and Thailand" has attracted international public attention. What positive impacts will this policy bring to China and Thailand and the ASEAN region? What is its long-term significance?
China News Service's "East-West Question" recently conducted an exclusive interview with Khon Thaparansi, the former deputy prime minister of Thailand and the current president of the Thailand-China Friendship Association.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
China News Service reporter: As an active promoter and witness of the friendly relations between China and Thailand, how do you evaluate the mutual visa exemption agreement between China and Thailand?
Gong Tapalansi:
China and Thailand have maintained friendly bilateral relations for a long time. The mutual visa exemption policy is adopted by both sides to further strengthen friendly relations, especially exchanges and cooperation in the fields of tourism, economy, trade, culture and other fields. a measure.
This is an important milestone in the relationship between the two countries, which reflects the further improvement of the friendly relations between the two countries and will bring more benefits and opportunities to the two countries.
As the president of the Thailand-China Friendship Association, I highly appreciate this decision of the two governments.
Over the past nearly 50 years, the Thailand-China Friendship Association has been committed to promoting friendly exchanges between the two peoples.
I myself have visited China 157 times and met with many Chinese leaders.
Starting from March 1, citizens of the two countries will be able to travel easily. I believe that the exchanges between the Chinese and Thai people will become more frequent.
Not only tourists, but also business people, investors, officials, as well as teachers and students, will enjoy more convenient exchanges between the two countries, further deepening the close relationship between the two countries.
The increase in the number of exchanges between the two peoples will in turn drive investment and consumption growth in various economic fields and promote the economic development of Thailand and the ASEAN region.
On February 23, 2024, the Thai-Chinese Cultural People’s Association of Thailand and the Alumni Association of Chinese Universities in Thailand jointly organized a Lantern Festival party. Gong Thaparangsi, the former deputy prime minister of Thailand and the current president of the Thailand-China Friendship Association, delivered a speech at the party. , Thailand and China are friendly neighbors. The concept of "China and Thailand are one family" is deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples. The friendship between Thailand and China is everlasting.
Photo by Li Yingmin
China News Service Reporter: In your opinion, what are the direct positive factors brought about by the mutual visa exemption policy between China and Thailand?
Gong Tapalance:
The direct positive factors, specifically, are mainly reflected in the following aspects:
One is to increase tourism revenue.
Tourism is an important part of Thailand's economy, and China is one of Thailand's most important source countries of tourists. The implementation of the mutual visa exemption policy will help attract more Chinese tourists to Thailand and increase Thailand's tourism revenue.
In September last year, Thailand took the lead in providing a temporary visa-free policy to tourists from China and Kazakhstan. The temporary visa-free policy expired on February 29 this year, while the China-Thailand mutual visa exemption policy will take effect on March 1. The two policies are exactly the same. Seamless.
Data from the "Ctrip" platform shows that after China and Thailand signed a mutual visa exemption agreement, the search popularity for Thailand-related keywords on the platform increased more than 7 times from the previous day. On the "Ctrip" Thailand site, the search popularity for China-related keywords increased from the previous day. Increased more than 4 times in one day.
Thailand hopes to further increase the attractiveness of its tourism industry and plans to attract 8 million Chinese tourists in 2024 to promote the comprehensive recovery of the tourism industry after the epidemic.
For China, this policy will also promote the arrival of Thai tourists and increase China’s tourism and related industry income.
During the Spring Festival in 2024, Chinese tourists checked in at the famous Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand.
Photo by Li Yingmin
The second is to promote economic and trade cooperation and exchanges.
Simplified travel procedures enable business people from both countries to conduct face-to-face negotiations and inspections more conveniently, which is conducive to the growth of bilateral trade and investment and promotes the economic development of both countries.
Business people can flexibly arrange their itinerary according to sudden changes in business needs, and are no longer restricted by visa application time, improving travel flexibility. This flexibility is of great significance for seizing business opportunities and solving business problems in a timely manner.
By simplifying travel procedures, investors can more conveniently inspect the investment environment and projects, which will encourage companies from both countries to explore new investment opportunities, stimulate investment interest, and increase direct investment flows.
The mutual visa exemption policy between China and Thailand is an important driving force for the development of economic and trade relations between the two countries. It reduces the travel costs and time of business people and improves the convenience of trade and investment, providing new impetus for economic cooperation between the two countries.
The third is to promote cultural and educational exchanges.
More personnel exchanges will promote exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in the fields of culture, education and other fields, help deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the people of both sides, and lay a solid humanistic foundation for the long-term development of bilateral relations.
Currently, China is Thailand's largest source of international students. The number of Chinese students studying in Thailand is growing rapidly. Mutual visa exemption can bring many conveniences to the international student community.
Students, teachers and academic researchers will be able to more easily participate in short courses, academic conferences and research projects in each other's countries, which will help improve the quality of education and research on both sides.
It is also easier for students from both countries to travel to each other's country for long-term study, which not only promotes language and cultural exchanges, but also deepens friendship and understanding between the younger generations of the two countries.
Thai students from Liuzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College participated in a practical training class.
Photo by Lin Xin
The mutual visa exemption policy will also promote mutual visits by artists, performing groups and cultural workers, encourage more cultural exchange activities, such as art exhibitions, concerts, cultural festivals, etc., and help deepen cultural understanding and appreciation between the two countries. .
As the exchanges between the two peoples increase, the demand for learning each other's language will also increase. This will not only help promote direct communication between the two sides, but also provide a broader space for language education and cultural dissemination.
Next, the two countries can establish more cooperation projects and exchange platforms in the fields of culture and education, such as co-organizing cultural and art festivals and establishing joint research centers.
During the 2024 Spring Festival, Bangkok’s Chinatown will hold a grand celebration.
Photo courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand
China News Service reporter: From a strategic perspective, what are the long-term significance of mutual visa exemption between China and Thailand?
Gong Tapalansi:
The mutual visa exemption policy between China and Thailand will have a profound impact on strengthening cooperation between the two countries. It will not only enhance the coordination and cooperation between the two countries in regional and international affairs, but also promote the cooperation between the two countries in the "Belt and Road" initiative. Cooperate under multilateral frameworks such as the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and jointly respond to global challenges (such as climate change, transnational crime, etc.).
The mutual visa exemption policy has increased exchanges between officials and people of the two countries, helped enhance mutual understanding and trust, promoted political mutual trust between the two countries, and provided a solid foundation for coordination and cooperation between the two countries in regional and international affairs.
As important members of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism, China and Thailand can more effectively promote cooperation projects in water resources management, agriculture, education and other fields through the mutual visa exemption policy, and jointly promote the sustainable development of the Mekong River Basin.
By enhancing coordination between the two countries in regional and international affairs, China and Thailand can strengthen cooperation in anti-terrorism, combating transnational crimes, and preventing public health risks, effectively respond to common challenges, and better safeguard the economic security of both countries and the entire region. and stability.
In addition, the mutual visa exemption policy between China and Thailand will help promote cooperation between the two sides in infrastructure construction, trade, investment and other fields under the "Belt and Road" initiative, and will help the two countries communicate and coordinate during the project planning and execution stages.
Overall, the mutual visa exemption policy between China and Thailand will not only bring direct economic and social benefits to both countries, but also help strengthen regional cooperation by promoting the convenient flow of people and information, and will have a positive impact on Southeast Asia and even the wider world. and make positive contributions to regional peace and development.
Interviewee profile:
Kung Thaparansi was born into a political family in Thailand in 1945, and his ancestral home is Chenghai, Guangdong.
Gong Thaparansi entered Thai politics in his 20s and served successively as ministers of the Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Tourism, and Ministry of Health, and served as deputy prime minister of three governments.
As the president of the Thailand-China Friendship Association, Kung Thaparansi devotes himself wholeheartedly to the cause of Thailand-China friendship and promotes economic and cultural exchanges between China and Thailand from the non-governmental level.
He is not only a witness to the friendly relations between China and Thailand, but also a promoter of relations between the two countries.