According to Zhu Xijun, general manager of Southeast Asian Branch of the China Railway Construction Corporation, six rounds of talks have been held on planned cooperation concerning the China-Thailand Railway. Both parties expect to sign an intergovernmental framework agreement in early September and start construction in late October.

At the Thai-Chinese Business Forum held on the same day, business people from the two countries discussed how to enhance interconnection and further promote the implementation of the Belt and Road initiative.

Zhu Xijun said, China and Thailand expect to complete railway construction within three years and the railway cooperation will benefit the socioeconomic development of Thailand. When the China-Thailand Railway goes into operation, a round-trip between Kunming and Bangkok will cost about 3,600 baht (about 700 yuan), half or one third of the price of an air ticket. In addition, the freight costs by rail will be one- ninth of that by air. For Thailand, it is projected to increase the number of Chinese tourists by two million each year, facilitate the export of agricultural products and turn the country into a transport hub for other ASEAN countries.

Wu Zhiwu, Charge d’ Affaires ad Interim of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, said that the cooperation on the China-Thai- land Railway will be a good example of the interconnectedness between the Belt and Road initiative and the Prayuth Infrastructure Construction Plan. In the future, China and Thailand will seek further cooperation in the construction of ports, airports and other infrastructure.

According to Wu Zhiwu, apart from cooperation in infrastructure projects, China and Thailand can also tap the potential for economic and trade investment cooperation in several areas. First, China and Thailand can increase equipment manufacturing cooperation in public works, railway facilities and new bus systems. Second, China and Thailand can strengthen “green development” cooperation in environmental protection, waste power generation, solar energy, remote sensing satellite communications and 4G technology. Third and finally, China can engage in the deep processing of agricultural products in Thailand, which will in turn enhance Thailand’s position in the international agricultural products processing industry chain.