Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra pledged Monday to further expand bilateral trade and economic relations.

During their meeting in Vientiane, the two sides exchanged views on strengthening the Sino-Thai relations and expressed satisfaction over the cooperation in trade, communications, resources and energy fields.

Talking with Thaksin on economic cooperation in the Great Mekong Sub-Region, Wen said the Great Mekong Sub-Regional cooperation is one of the focus of the China-ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) cooperation.

China is to host the second meeting of the Great Mekong Sub-Region countries, said Wen. "We hope that the meeting could achieve tangible progress in promoting development in communications, energy, telecommunications, environment protection, agriculture, trade and investment facilitation."

Thaksin said Thailand is to closely cooperate with China in helping generate positive results at the meeting and promote the cooperation in related fields.

The two-day ASEAN Summit opened here Monday and Thailand is one of the 10-member ASEAN countries.