appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Hayley Wong

Senior military officials from China and Thailand reached an “important consensus” on strategic cooperation when they met on Thursday, according to the defence ministry in Beijing.
The meeting was held between China’s chief of joint staff, Liu Zhenli, and Thailand’s top defence official, Songwit Noonpackdee, during his visit to the Chinese capital.
The two military leaders “reached an important consensus on strengthening strategic communication and deepening cooperation in joint exercises and training”, according to a statement on Thursday.
They also “exchanged views on issues of common concern, such as relations between the two countries and their militaries and the international and regional situation”.


Liu is a member of the Central Military Commission, the highest decision-making body of the People’s Liberation Army.
In a separate meeting with Songwit, Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun said ties between the two countries had endured “the change of winds and clouds”.
Songwit replied that the Thai side was willing to closely coordinate with China in multilateral affairs and “jointly safeguard” the security and stability of the region, according to the Chinese defence ministry.
The high-level meetings followed a series of diplomatic activities between China and the Southeast Asian country, which is also a traditional US ally in the region.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his Thai counterpart last month and said Thailand was a high priority for Chinese diplomacy in the region. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra also met in February.
The two countries have also deepened defence cooperation in the past decade, especially since the 2014 military coup in Thailand, with China replacing the US to become Thailand’s top arms supplier.
Their joint exercises have appeared to include more comprehensive combat elements since last year, as highlighted by their joint air drill, “Falcon Strike 2024”.
Most recently, the navies of the two countries concluded an exercise last month that focused on counterterrorism tactics and anti-submarine warfare.
While joint exercises and arms sales between the US and Thailand have been scaled back, Washington has ramped up its strategic and defence dialogue with Bangkok in the past few years as Beijing’s influence has expanded in the region.
Thailand has imported a range of weapon systems from China, from armoured vehicles to air-defence systems.
The two countries signed a deal in 2017 for Thailand to buy the first of three Yuan-class submarines from China for 13.5 billion baht (US$412 million).
Bangkok has paid an instalment of 7 billion baht, but production has been stalled since 2022 due to China’s inability to acquire a German engine because of Berlin’s defence export limits.
According to news site Khaosod English, Thai Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Tuesday that he would decide by the end of this month whether to accept the submarine with Chinese engines or cancel the contract and lose “80 per cent of the costs of the submarines which has already been paid”.
Citing Wechayachai, the Thai news site also reported that the Thai government had been asked several times by the Chinese ambassador to Bangkok about when it would proceed with the remaining payment for the purchase of the Chinese-made submarines.
Bangkok had previously asked Berlin to reconsider the embargo of its submarine engine, but Germany has rejected the request.


How Chinese firms can optimise their ‘going out’ strategy in Southeast Asia

Why Brunei prefers ‘quiet diplomacy’ over confrontation in South China Sea

Can the new Pinglu Canal become China’s Yangtze of the southwest?

Japan’s Natuna port proposal highlights Indonesia’s balancing act on China

China-Asean relations

China-Thailand meeting yields agreement on strategic cooperation and military exercises

Troops pose in front of aircraft during the Falcon Strike drill in Thailand in July 2023. Photo: Facebook/ Royal Thai Air Force

China, Asean finish talks to forge stronger free-trade deal amid US tariff war threat

The ASEAN flag is placed alongside the flags of its member countries in Langkawi, Malaysia, January 17, 2025. Photo: Reuters

The Asean flag is placed alongside the flags of its member countries in Langkawi, Malaysia on January 17, 2025. Photo: Reuters

China-Cambodia drills to showcase more tech and troops as military ties grow

Chinese troops line up during last year’s Golden Dragon military exercise in Kampong Chhnang province, Cambodia on May 16, 2024. Photo: AP 

Bangkok among cities with higher rates of tourist fraud reported, report warns

Tourists walk past a tuk tuk in a popular tourist area in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: EPA-EFE

A traveller with an instant camera takes a photo in Thailand. Photo: Shutterstock

A report by Mastercard found that fraud in trip planning has increased by over 12 per cent in the past year. Photo: Shutterstock

Philippines-US drone drill signals rising threat in South China Sea of unmanned weapons

A US air defence system fires at a drone during a joint drill with the Philippines in San Antonio, Zambales province, in April. Photo: AP

US and Philippine troops prepare to counter a drone as part of the Balikatan exercise in northern Philippines on May 3. Photo: Jeoffrey Maitem

US high-powered microwave weapons staged for a drill as part of the Balikatan joint military exercises in the Philippines on April 30. Photo: US Army

US marines prepare a counter-drone system during the US-Philippines Balikatan military exercises on April 27. Photo: AFP 

A drone launched as a target at a drill as part of the US-Philippines Balikatan joint military exercises in San Antonio, Zambales, on April 27. Photo: EPA-EFE

News

China

Military

Visit to Beijing by Thailand’s top defence official Songwit Noonpackdee is latest in a series of diplomatic activities with China


Visit to Beijing by Thailand’s top defence official Songwit Noonpackdee is latest in a series of diplomatic activities with China.


China-Thailand meeting yields agreement on strategic cooperation and military exercises

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Visit to Beijing by Thailand’s top defence official Songwit Noonpackdee is latest in a series of diplomatic activities with China

Visit to Beijing by Thailand’s top defence official Songwit Noonpackdee is latest in a series of diplomatic activities with China