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Through Rain and Sunshine, For a Glorious Future
A letter to friends from all walks of life in Thailand northern provinces
2020-10-01 17:24

Today is the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which coincides with the traditional Chinese festival of the Mid-Autumn Festival. On this happy day of reunion, I would like to extend my cordial greetings and best wishes to friends from all walks of life.

In the past 71 years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people started hard on the basis of poverty and blankness, crossed the river by feeling the stones, finally embarked on the broad road of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, successfully achieved rapid economic development and long-term social stability, and created a miracle in the world. The Chinese nation has ushered in a great leap from standing up, getting rich and becoming strong. Today, China has become the world's second largest economy for many consecutive years, and its contribution rate to global economic growth reaches 30% approximately. It has become the main contributor and stabilizer of global economic growth. In addition, China has established the most complete industrial system in the world, and it is the only country with all the industrial categories in the United Nations Industrial Classification, and plays an indispensable role in the global industrial chain. In the face of the world's unprecedented changes in a century, China has actively contributed its wisdom and China's plan, and the Belt and Road Initiative has received enthusiastic response from many countries. Under the guidance of President Xi Jinping's diplomatic thoughts, China continues to adhere to the road of peaceful development, promote the building of new patterns of international relations, promote the formation of a community of shared future for mankind, and always be the builder of world peace, the contributor of global development and the defender of international order.

At the beginning of the year 2020, China has suffered the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic. Under the strong leadership of President Xi Jinping and Chinese government, with the concerted efforts of Chinese people and the support and encouragement of friends from all over the world, China has withstood the arduous challenge and made significant strategic achievements in fighting against the epidemic. It has become the first major economy to recover growth, showing its strong repair capacity and vigorous vitality. In the face of the epidemic, China has always worked hand in hand with other countries to overcome the difficulties. China actively reported the epidemic information, released the gene sequence of Covid-19, published the diagnosis and treatment and prevention and control plan as soon as possible, tried its best to provide assistance to the international community, and demonstrated its sincere desire to promote the formation of a community of shared future for mankind.

At present, the Chinese government and people are redoubling their efforts to make up for the losses caused by the epidemic, so as to ensure the completion of the decisive task of building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way and the battle against poverty. China is willing to join hands with Thailand and other countries in the world to promote the formation of more inclusive global governance, more effective multilateral mechanisms and more active regional cooperation, so as to jointly meet the increasingly severe global challenges and jointly create a better future for mankind.

China and Thailand have a history of more than a thousand years of friendly exchanges. The kinship between China and Thailand is rooted in the hearts of the two peoples. As important developing countries in the region, our interests blend together, and our destiny is closely linked. In the past 45 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, although the international situation has changed, the bilateral relations have always shown strong vitality and constantly radiated vitality, becoming a model for countries with different social systems to get along with each other.

We will never forget that at the beginning of the epidemic in China, Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha and friends from all walks of life in northern Thailand supported China in various ways and made generous donations. On the main streets of Chiang Mai, the slogan "Thailand and China, two lands one heart" has been set up. It vividly interprets the kinship between China and Thailand. The Thai side has also actively provided assistance to Chinese citizens stranded in Thailand to extend their visa and made efforts to treat the confirmed Chinese citizens. A Chinese tourist from Hubei province was diagnosed and hospitalized in Chiang Mai. The full treatment and care of Thai medical staff helped him recover soon. After he was discharged from hospital, he told the staff of the Consulate General that it was the Thai people who helped him at the critical moment. He will always remember this warmth and affection.

‘A drop of water in need, shall be returned with a spring indeed.’ After the spread of the epidemic in Thailand, the Chinese government and all walks of life have also donated medical supplies to Thailand, and provided drugs and raw materials for mask production for targeted export. Under the active coordination of the Chinese Consulate General in Chiang Mai, provinces and cities, which have established sister-province and sister-city relations with northern Thailand, such as Shanghai, Chongqing, Yunnan, Hainan, Guizhou, Sichuan and other provinces and cities have donated medical supplies to institutions, hospitals and schools in northern Thailand to provide aid and assistance. The mutual support and cooperation between China and Thailand to fight against the epidemic proves once again that every time we experience the storm, our hands are tighter and our hearts are closer.

Looking back at the rapid development of China-Thailand relations in the past 45 years, we are pleased to see that the strategic mutual trust between the two sides is deepening day by day, and the mutually beneficial cooperation has shown a good situation of all-round, deep-level and high-level development. The leaders of the two countries have frequent contacts and treat each other sincerely, and unswervingly support each other on issues involving each other's core and major interests. The total volume of bilateral trade increased from US $24.62 million at the beginning of the establishment of diplomatic relations to US $91.7 billion in 2019, an increase of more than 3700 times. China has become Thailand's largest trading partner for seven consecutive years, while Thailand is China's third largest trading partner among ASEAN countries. In the first half of this year, although the global trade situation was grim, the total volume of bilateral trade between China and Thailand increased by 5.6%. In June, Thailand's exports to China increased by 12%. China applied for 95 BOI investment projects, with a total investment amount of 17.46 billion baht. The construction of the Belt and Road flagship project, China-Thailand Railway, has been progressing smoothly.

The status of northern Thailand in China-Thailand cooperation has become increasingly prominent. In the past two years, more than 10 million Chinese tourists have visited Thailand, and nearly a quarter of them have visited northern Thailand. Longans, mangoes and other special agricultural products of northern Thailand are very popular in China. With the continuous advancement of relevant projects under the framework of China-ASEAN cooperation, joint construction of Belt and Road, Lancang-Mekong cooperation, the cooperation between China and northern Thailand will be closer, and the people in northern Thailand will also get more tangible benefits.

Two and a half months ago, I arrived in Chiang Mai and became Chinese Consul General in Chiang Mai. I feel very warm and honored to have the opportunity to work in Thailand, a friendly neighbor, and stay in northern Thailand, which has a long history of civilization and beautiful scenery. Since I took office, I have visited government departments and institutions in Chiang Mai and Lamphun, as well as universities and associations, and conveyed greetings to overseas Chinese, teachers and students. Everywhere I went, I was warmly welcomed. I felt the friendship of all walks of life in northern Thailand towards China and the strong desire to develop cooperation with China, which made me feel more responsible and glorious.

To celebrate the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 45th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand, the Chinese Consulate General in Chiang Mai held a photo exhibition themed "The Rivers Flow Far Away, And The Friendship Between China and Thailand Lasts Forever." from September 21, which attracted wide attention from friends from all walks of life. The theme of the travelling exhibition is quoted from the inscription of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn when she visited the Chinese Embassy in Thailand in July 2016, which is not only a true description of the long history of China-Thailand relations, but also a hope and wish for the spread of China-Thailand friendship from generation to generation.

I and my colleagues will try our best to take the diplomatic thought of President Xi Jinping as guidance, and practice the neighboring diplomacy concept of "Amity, Sincerity, Mutual Benefit and Inclusiveness". We will work hand in hand with all the people in the consular district, take 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand as a new starting point, jointly promote friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation between China and Thailand to continue to move forward, and write a new chapter in China-Thailand friendship.

Wu Zhiwu                                

Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Chiang Mai

October 1, 2020                            

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