Anadolu staff
20 July 2026•Update: 20 July 2026
Thailand and China agreed Monday to establish a new 2+2 dialogue mechanism bringing together their foreign and defense ministers, as the two countries moved to deepen strategic cooperation in security, trade, technology and regional connectivity.
The agreement was reached during talks between Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul in Beijing, according to statements from the Thai Prime Minister's Office.
Li said China was ready to work with Thailand to strengthen mutual political trust, expand practical cooperation and advance the building of a China-Thailand community with a shared future.
According to the Thai Prime Minister's Office, the new 2+2 mechanism will enhance coordination on foreign and security policy. Thailand offered to host the inaugural meeting, while the two sides also agreed to expand cooperation in the defense industry and personnel development.
The leaders pledged to intensify efforts to combat transnational crime by strengthening intelligence sharing, exchanging investigative and financial transaction information, and jointly combating online scam syndicates and financial fraud.
Anutin said Thailand attached great importance to its ties with China and was committed to expanding cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, technology and regional connectivity. He called for increased Chinese imports of Thai agricultural products and processed food, welcomed high-quality Chinese investment and reaffirmed Thailand's commitment to completing the first phase of the Thailand-China high-speed railway by 2030.
The two sides also agreed to expand cooperation in emerging sectors, including artificial intelligence, the digital economy, innovation, health technology, nuclear energy and quantum technology.
Following the talks, the two prime ministers witnessed the signing of 15 agreements and memorandums of understanding covering higher education, industry and supply chains, AI education, intellectual property, public health, nuclear fusion, anti-money laundering, water management, media cooperation, satellite navigation, deep-space exploration and aquatic exports.
China is Thailand's largest trading partner. Bilateral trade exceeded $40 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up more than 20% from a year earlier, according to the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok. China has also remained Thailand's largest export market for agricultural products for 13 consecutive years.
Tourism remains another pillar of the relationship, with 2.65 million Chinese visitors traveling to Thailand by early July, according to the Chinese Embassy.
Anutin is visiting China from July 16 to 20 at Li's invitation. During the trip, he also met Chinese President Xi Jinping and Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. China and Thailand established diplomatic relations in 1975, and this year marks the 51st anniversary of bilateral ties.
