Chinese President Xi Jinping thanked Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra for the "strong measures" Thailand has taken against scammers targeting Chinese nationals in the region.
China is an important market for Thailand as it seeks to rebuild its tourism sector in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. But many tourists have been spooked by reports of Chinese visitors being kidnapped and taken to scam centres in neighbouring Myanmar.
While meeting Ms Paetongtarn during her trip to Beijing, Mr Xi on Thursday said, "China appreciates the strong measures taken by Thailand to combat online gambling and phone and online scams," Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.
"The two sides must continue to strengthen cooperation in security, law enforcement and judicial cooperation to protect people's lives and property," it quoted Mr Xi as saying.
Thai authorities cut off the electricity supply on Wednesday in five areas of Myanmar where fraud centres are allegedly located.
The Thai government has described the scam centres as a "national security issue".
They have mushroomed in Myanmar's borderlands, run by criminal gangs and staffed by trafficked foreigners who are forced to swindle their compatriots in an industry analysts say is worth billions of dollars.
In January, Chinese actor Wang Xing was reportedly rescued from a cyber fraud centre in Myanmar.
After his alleged kidnapping, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand during the Lunar New Year holiday declined sharply in comparison to previous years.
Government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said that during the meeting between Ms Paetongtarn and Mr Xi, the latter voiced support for Thailand's role in regional cooperation and the expansion of cooperation in several areas, including the development of a high-speed train project, the digital economy and the Eastern Economic Corridor.
China will stage the China International Import Expo this year to promote goods and services from the region, Mr Jirayu said.
The spokesman said that Ms Paetongtarn, in response, hailed the progress of the second phase of the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project after the cabinet approved the construction of the second phase on Feb 4.
The second phase of the project will require about 340 billion baht to construct. Once the entire line is completed, travellers can travel from Bangkok to Yunnan in China via Laos, where a high-speed line is already up and running.
Ms Paetongtarn also reassured Mr Xi that ensuring the safety of foreign visitors in Thailand is a government priority, Mr Jirayu said.
"The Thai government has given priority to ensuring safety for visitors to Thailand," Ms Paetongtarn was quoted as saying. "Thailand is ready to work with China to crack down on criminal syndicates using the country as a transit route to traffic victims."
The prime minister also welcomed the two countries' cooperation in human resource development and efforts to promote cultural and soft power exchanges between them.
Ms Paetongtarn on Thursday also met Chinese business executives to strengthen the two countries' business partnerships.
They included Jia Shao Qian, chair of Hisense Group, a major Chinese multinational home appliance and consumer electronics manufacturer.
Ms Paetongtarn said the government is ready to support the company's expansion in Thailand as the Board of Investment will facilitate its investment.
She also met with Alain Lam, chief financial officer and vice president of Xiaomi Corporation, a Chinese tech company that manufactures smartphones, among others.
She said that she hopes the company will consider Thailand for its second major production base.
Ms Paetongtarn is also set to attend the 9th Asian Winter Games Opening Ceremony in Harbin, Heilongjiang.
Her visit marks the beginning of the "Golden Jubilee year for Thailand-China Friendship", celebrating 50 years of diplomatic ties this year.
