ACC and Thailand Open a New Chapter in Agricultural Cooperation

Source:ASEAN-China Centre Convert Chinese

On June 30, 2025, Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ASEAN China Centre (ACC) visited the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MAOC) of Thailand in Bangkok and held talks with Deputy Permanent Secretary Taworn Thunjai.

Shi introduced the mandate and priority areas of the ACC, especially its endeavors in promoting agricultural cooperation between China and ASEAN in recent years, in line with the consensus reached by the leaders of the two sides. SG Shi stressed that by organizing a Chinese agricultural delegation to Thailand, the Centre aims to learn the needs of Thailand, and explore opportunities for smart agriculture cooperation. He reaffirmed the ACC's commitment to play the bridging role to help Thailand connect with more Chinese institutions and resources, and provide solutions to problems such as production enhancement, quarantine standards, agricultural waste recycling, therefore facilitating more export of high-quality agricultural products from Thailand to China while achieving green and sustainable development.

Taworn appreciated the ACC's work and highlighted the existing close exchanges that the Ministry has with China, both bilaterally and within the ASEAN framework. He emphasized that MAOC is committed to promoting sustainable development of Thai agriculture, a goal that aligns closely with the objectives of the ACC. He valued the ACC's visit and looked forward to enhanced cooperation between MAOC and the ACC. Future collaborative projects could potentially focus on agricultural talent development, technical exchanges, and capacity building. These initiatives are expected to contribute significantly to the advancement of Thai agriculture and the improvement of local farmers’ livelihoods, thereby opening a new chapter in agricultural cooperation and exchanges between Thailand and China.

On June 27, SG Shi also led a Chinese agricultural delegation to visit the Agriculture Research Development Agency (ARDA) under MAOC, during which the two sides engaged in in-depth discussions on a variety of topics, including talent training, joint research initiatives, and the optimal use of agricultural resources.