Thawin Pathapeepraison, Sanchai Puranachaikiri and other Thai entrepreneurs attended the China-Thailand Symposium on Fruit Industry Development & Cooperation and made speeches.
On October 12, 2022, the China-Thailand Symposium on Fruit Industry Development & Cooperation was successfully held in Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China. Thai entrepreneurs including Thawin Pathapeepraison, president of the Thai-Chinese Industrial Alliance Trade Association, and Sanchai Puranachaikiri, president of the Thai Fresh Fruit Traders and Exporters Association, were invited to attend. The guests of the two countries jointly discussed the opportunities and challenges of the current Thailand-China fruit industry cooperation through online and offline channels, described greater prospects for promoting fruit industry cooperation between the two countries and shared the outcomes of the "Belt and Road" initiative.
Mr. Thawin Pathapeepraison stated that, “In recent years, bilateral trade between Thailand and China, especially Thai exports to China, have grown against the trend during the pandemic, and Thailand's fruit exports to China have continued to expand in a remarkable way. With the operation of the China-Laos Railway and the construction progress of the Thailand-China High Speed Railway, the better interconnection of infrastructure will provide more convenient and efficient channels for the transportation of Thai fresh fruits, and a broader market for the Thai fruit industry. To promote the operation of the China-Laos Railway and foster construction of the Thailand-China High Speed Railway are the common wishes of the governments and industries among the two countries.”
Mr. Sanchai Puranachaikiri said that, “Many Thai businessmen are of Chinese descent and share a similar cultural background with their Chinese partners which helps them cooperate and communicate with each other without obstacles.” Mr. Sanchai exchanged with all attendees his concerns and understanding of the specific difficulties in logistics and transportation under the impact of the pandemic in a practical way, expressed the industry's welcome and expectations for the "Belt and Road" initiative and the construction of the China-Laos-Thailand Railway, and put forward his sincere wishes for the cross-border railway transportation process to be optimised and the Thailand-China Railway to bring concrete benefits in the future.
Huang Huabing, deputy director of the Commerce Bureau of Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, extended a warm welcome to Thai entrepreneurs, and introduced China's in-depth commitment to the "Belt and Road" Initiative and construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area by creating new advantages in international cooperation and competition with a high level of opening-up, guiding and encouraging enterprises to further enhance the level of trade
and investment development. Mr. Huang said that the Chinese side will unswervingly support the development of enterprises from home and abroad and work together with all walks of life to create a better future.
Finally, in the free exchange and discussion session, attendees from both countries took an active part. Thai entrepreneurs warmly invited Chinese experts and scholars to visit plantation parks in Thailand to carry out bilateral technical cooperation, and discussed with them the introduction of new fruit varieties and the improvement of the technology of fruit preservation during transportation. Many expressed their willingness to help promote close exchanges and cooperation of governments, business communities and research institutes between the two countries to jointly facilitate the "Belt and Road" Initiative and the earlier completion of the China-Lao-Thailand railway, so that customs clearance will be smoother and people will be more interconnected.
