Bangkok (People's Daily) - The synergy of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Thailand’s development strategy will have long-term benefits for China’s relationship with Thailand and ASEAN countries, said a Chinese diplomat Friday. 

China and Thailand have similar concepts of economic development and both emphasize sustainable development and promote interconnection, said Zhang Peidong, Economic and Commercial counselor of the Chinese embassy in Bangkok.

Zhang made the remarks at a seminar held in Bangkok where attendees from media and businesses gathered to discuss the development prospects of Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) project against the background of the China’s massive Belt and Road infrastructure project that aims to connect Asia to Europe and Africa.

The EEC is a flagship project of the “Thailand 4.0” strategy, an ambition of the Thai government aiming to revitalize the country with innovation and the application of new technology in manufacturing.

Vikrom Kromadit, chairman of the Thailand-China Business Council, believes that the interaction between the Belt and Road Initiative and the EEC will bring more opportunities for Sino-Thai cooperation.

Zhang said she hopes to see China and Thailand seize opportunities, meet challenges and create a better future together.

Top image: Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha (R2) shakes hands with Wang Xiaotao (L3), deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission of China at a ground-breaking ceremony for the first phase of the China-Thailand high-speed railway, on Dec. 21, Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand. (Xinhua/Li Mangmang)