1 December 2025, WTO Room W

Thank you, Chair.

China warmly welcomes the Thailand delegation led by H.E. Ms. Kirida Bhaopichitr, Vice-Minister for Commerce. We thank the Secretariat for their efforts and express our appreciation to H.E. Ambassador Petter Ølberg for the role as Discussant. I also would like to express our condolence to these lives lost in the floods.

Three weeks ago, His Majesty King Vajiralongkorn paid a successful state visit to China. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic ties and the “Golden Jubilee of China-Thailand Friendship”, this historical visit has elevated our bilateral cooperation to a new level. China stands ready to work with Thailand to deepen bilateral and multilateral economic and trade cooperation.

China commends Thailand’s solid economic performance during the review period. Thailand maintained steady GDP growth averaging 2.2% annually during 2020-2024 and a high level of openness. In 2024, Thailand’s trade reached 137% of GDP, and goods exports surpassed USD 300 billion. The export structure continued to improve, supported by fast-growing digitally delivered services and the strong competitiveness of agricultural products, automotives, electronics and medical devices.

Green transition is under way, with clear carbon-neutrality and net-zero targets and supporting measures such as carbon pricing and clean-energy trading pilots. China welcomes Thailand’s long-term strategy of achieving high-income status by 2037 under its National Strategy (2018–2037), and its efforts to promote innovation-driven growth and develop advanced manufacturing industries such as electric vehicles and smart electronics, sectors in which our two countries have very good cooperation.

Thailand is an active member in the WTO and upholds the rules-based multilateral trading system. With respect to trade facilitation, Thailand fulfilled all the commitments of Trade Facilitation Agreement in 2024, and strengthened its Single Window and AEO programmes, and significantly reduced document processing time from 3–5 days to a few hours. Thailand is also a proactive participant in various plurilateral negotiations and discussions, such as the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement, the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (DPP) and has just joined the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD).

We look forward to Thailand joining the E-Commerce Agreement (ECA) and the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA) at an early date. I would also like to appreciate the constructive role by H.E. Ambassador Pimchanok Pitfield throughout the WTO, in particular, chairing the TRIPS council from 2023 to 2024.

As a firm supporter of the multilateral trading system, Thailand co-sponsored the communication by the Friends of the System, “Statement in Support of the Rules-Based Multilateral Trading System on the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of the WTO”. Most recently, ASEAN and China concluded the ASEAN-China FTA 3.0 Upgrade negotiations and issued a Ministerial Statement that underscored the importance of the rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core.

Bilaterally, Thailand and China enjoy a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and work closely under RCEP, ASEAN+1, the Belt and Road Initiative, APEC and many other frameworks. Connectivity continues to strengthen our economic links. The China–Thailand railway and expanding digital payment channels have made the movement of people, goods and services smoother, bringing the two economies and our peoples closer.

We encourage Thailand to further streamline the business climate, facilitate trade and pursue more inclusive, resilient and competitive growth with digital and green transitions.

We have submitted written questions on Thailand’s foreign investment and trade policies, standards and technical regulations. We expect early replies from Thailand.

To conclude, we wish the TPR a full success.

Thank you, Chair.