BEIJING, China – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Suphajee Suthumpun reported positive results from her participation in the Prime Minister’s official visit to Beijing on July 19-20. In meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and National People’s Congress Chairman Zhao Leji, the Deputy Prime Minister called for greater Chinese imports of premium Thai agricultural and health products to support balanced trade. She also urged the registration of Geographical Indications for Thai jasmine rice, sweet tamarind, and pomelo in China by year-end, and encouraged Chinese investors to use local Thai materials.
To advance these economic objectives, the Deputy Prime Minister signed two Memorandums of Understanding. The first agreement promotes industrial and supply chain cooperation, creating a bilateral mechanism to integrate micro, small, and medium enterprises into high-tech, electric vehicle, and green industry supply chains. The second agreement, with China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, strengthens intellectual property rights enforcement by establishing dedicated contact points to address violations on physical and online platforms.
The Ministry of Commerce will further these initiatives at the upcoming Thai-Chinese Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation, co-chaired by the Minister and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. China has been Thailand’s top trading partner for 13 consecutive years, with bilateral trade reaching 147.33 billion dollars in 2025. From January to May 2026, trade volume totaled $ 74.14 billion. This growth is supported by strong Thai agricultural exports and essential imports of Chinese capital machinery and advanced technology, which are critical to Thailand’s manufacturing sector and its integration into global supply chains. (NNT)
