Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul addresses the Russia-ASEAN Summit on June 17, 2026. Photo: VCG

Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand Anutin Charnvirakul will pay an official visit to China from July 16 to 20. Amid the changing and volatile international situation, China hopes the visit will galvanize efforts to carry forward the traditional friendship and family-like relationship of China and Thailand, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday.

With a long history of exchanges and solid bilateral cooperation foundations, the two countries are expected to further warm their deep friendship characterized as "China and Thailand are as close as one family" and advance deeper cooperation across various sectors through the upcoming visit, a Chinese expert noted.

At a regular press conference on Monday, when asked to brief on Anutin's upcoming visit to China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that Prime Minister of Thailand Anutin Charnvirakul will attend the 2026 World AI Conference & High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in China. This will be the prime minister's first official visit to China after taking office, and the visit fully reflects the high importance both sides attach to China-Thailand relations.

China and Thailand are good neighbors, good friends, good relatives and good partners. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the two sides have deepened political mutual trust, and engaged in fruitful cooperation in areas of trade and investment, digital economy, aerospace, science, education, culture and health, Lin said. 

Amid the changing and volatile international situation, China hopes the visit will galvanize efforts to carry forward the traditional friendship and family-like relationship of China and Thailand, deepen comprehensive strategic cooperation, achieve new outcomes in building the China-Thailand community with a shared future, boost the two countries' respective modernization, and contribute to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity, the spokesperson said.

Gu Xiaosong, dean of the ASEAN Research Institute of Hainan Tropical Ocean University, told the Global Times on Monday that China and Thailand share a long history of exchanges and profound friendship, laying a solid foundation for bilateral ties. The two countries enjoy the deep friendship characterized as "China and Thailand are as close as one family", with relations growing increasingly closer over time. 

Following the King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua of the Kingdom of Thailand's visit last year, Prime Minister Anutin's upcoming visit to China is expected to further advance political coordination, trade and economic links, as well as people-to-people exchanges, and facilitate steady progress in building a China-Thailand community with a shared future, Gu said.

The recent period has seen frequent exchanges between China and Thailand. In a meeting between Anutin and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in April in Bangkok, China and Thailand agreed to strengthen strategic alignment and enhance cooperation in various fields, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Also, at the just-concluded promotion symposium on the 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE) and a "Big Market for All: Export to China" event targeting Thailand, officials and business representatives from China and Thailand pledged to deepen trade and investment ties. 

Addressing the event, Chinese vice commerce minister Yan Dong said that China has remained Thailand's largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years, and Thailand is also an important trading partner of China among ASEAN countries.

Economic exchanges serve as an important pillar of China-Thailand relations, with the two sides having built sound economic cooperation foundations over the years. Looking ahead, with the China-Laos Railway bringing more convenient logistics channels, China and Thailand are expected to tap into more potential for bilateral trade, Gu said.

Beyond the bilateral scope, the expert further noted that as an important ASEAN member state, Anutin's upcoming visit to China is also expected to help improve regional stability.

"Located at the heart of the Indochina Peninsula, Thailand holds a strategically vital geographic position. The friendship between China and Thailand not only elevates bilateral ties but also fosters closer relations between China and other countries on the Indochina Peninsula," Gu said.