Thailand and China Agreed on COVID-19 Vaccine Cooperation enhancement

Thailand and the Republic of China agreed to improve collaboration in the area of COVID-19 vaccine research and production.

One of the primary elements posed for dialog during the official visit to Thailand on 14-15 October 2020 by Mr. Wang Yi, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, as a guest of Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, was the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that after the outbreak of the COVID-19 situation in the Kingdom, the visit was the first by a foreign minister of a foreign nation to Thailand.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs obtained reassurance that China will position Thailand on the priority list of countries to provide access to and acquisition of the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as to facilitate technology transfer in the development of the COVID-19 vaccine.

In naming the vaccine a "global public good," which would be inexpensive and available to everyone, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude to China. He also sponsored China's "Health Silk Road" initiative to encourage health protection in the country.

The two sides reaffirmed their readiness to work closely together on the socio-economic stabilization of the COVID-19 situation for all countries.

They also addressed the creation of links to help China's Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI) via the Thailand-China High-speed Railway Project and through the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Investment in the EEC, which will be built as a manufacturing and logistics hub connecting the Pacific and the Indian Oceans via the planned "Thai Bridge" across the Gulf of Thailand, was also addressed.

Besides, the parties agreed that the project's success in connecting the three airports in Thailand and the three smart cities in the EEC would be an example of regional cooperation.