BANGKOK- Thailand aims to work on strengthening economic and political ties with nearly two dozen countries as world leaders gather in Bangkok for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit later this week.
Observers said Thailand would seek its own interests during the summit, given geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China and the Russo-Ukrainian war.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a group of 21 Asia-Pacific economies. Senior officials and representatives from these economies will meet to discuss issues of trade, economic integration, sustainable development and support for business enterprise.
The APEC meeting will be held on November 18-19 and will be chaired by Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok. Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend, but U.S. President Joe Biden will not, with Vice President Kamala Harris representing him.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will also not attend the summit, which will be represented by First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, according to media reports.
For Thailand, the theme of its participation in the summit is to promote the bio-circular green economy (BCG Economy); the so-called bio-circular green economy is a growth that uses science, innovation and technology to maximize the use of resources, maintain ecosystems and reduce waste model, with the aim of promoting business and addressing environmental challenges.
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, an expert in Thai political science and an associate professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, told VOA that Thailand hopes that the bio-circular green economy can be a legacy and a harvest of hosting the APEC summit.
"Prime Minister Prayut doesn't have much to show, but in a better case, Thailand will get more out of it if there is a growth strategy and a clear plan for where it wants to be on the global economic map," Pounsu said. Dirac said. "Prayut himself is not known for foreign policy acumen or economic strategy; he is a soldier," he added.
Meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping
Punsudi Lak said the Thai government would prioritize its international relations and diplomatic efforts with China, referring to Prayut's dinner with Xi Jinping scheduled for the 18th.
"This dinner is critical," Pontsoudillac said. “On the agenda of the meeting between Thailand and China, they will discuss the post-pandemic economic recovery, the return of tourism, and the Free Trade Agreement 3.0 that China has been pushing.”
Beijing is trying to attract The Southeast Asian country has further expanded its trade zone to improve manufacturing supply chains, countering the Washington-led 14-nation "Indo-Pacific Economic Framework" (IPEF), which aims to promote fair and clean trade in the region.
Thailand's economy is heavily dependent on tourism, which accounted for roughly 11 percent of Thailand's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019, bank records show.
But the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has hit Thailand hard, with its gross domestic product falling by 6% in 2020. Now, anti-epidemic measures for international tourists have been relaxed, and Thai tourism officials recently estimated that 10 million tourists will visit Thailand by the end of 2022.
However, the Bangkok summit may not go well, with Thai civil society groups vowing to protest against the APEC summit to derail Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's plans. Anti-government activist groups Ratsadon and Thalufah have already drawn up plans to protest the summit from November 16.
The Thai government has banned protests at 19 hotels believed to be staying at foreign officials and delegations at the APEC summit site and around Bangkok. The Royal Thai Police warned that they would crack down on any illegal activity during the summit.
0 Comments