Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej started a four-day official visit to China yesterday, on the eve of the 33rd anniversary of the establishment of bilateral ties between Thailand and China.
The trip is his first foreign visit outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since taking office in February.
"Your visit on the eve of the 33rd anniversary of the establishment of our bilateral ties bears high significance and has fully reflected the family-like relations between China and Thailand," Premier Wen Jiabao told Samak during their talks at the Great Hall of the People yesterday.
It is common protocol for new Thai premiers to visit ASEAN neighbors before going farther abroad. Samak will leave for Brunei after his stay in China to complete his visit to the 10 ASEAN capitals.
Wen also thanked Samak for Thailand's help in the aftermath of the earthquake that hit Sichuan province on May 12. The quake forced him to postpone his visit to China.
"I was saddened by the news of China's earthquake as if learning of the suffering of a relative, so we gave our full assistance," Samak said.
He still keeps his Chinese surname, Li, inherited from his ancestors from China who settled in Thailand 227 years ago.
During the talks, the two premiers agreed to deepen cooperation in various fields including trade, agriculture and defense.
Known for his fondness of visiting local markets, the 73-year-old Thai leader will visit a market in Beijing this morning. Later, he is scheduled to meet President Hu Jintao and Defense Minister Liang Guanglie.
Source: China Daily
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