On April 3, 2018, Wang Zhigang, Minister of Science and Technology, met with the Thai delegation headed by Suvit Maesincee, Minister of Science and Technology of Thailand. The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views and reached multiple consensuses on advancing bilateral inter-governmental science and technology cooperation, strengthening regional innovation cooperation, and aligning the two countries’ development strategies.

Minister Wang remarked that as this year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up and the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Thailand Agreement on  Science and Technology Cooperation, the bilateral science and technology cooperation has maintained a strong momentum and should make new accomplishments in the new era in serving the bilateral relations and supporting the two countries’ economic and social development and livelihood improvement. He added that this year also represents the China-ASEAN Year of Innovation and China stands ready for pragmatic cooperation with the focus on creating cooperation highlights under regional innovation cooperation mechanisms and the Action Plan for the Belt and Road STI Cooperation.

Wang briefed the Thai side on China’s science and technology development plans outlined at the 19th CPC National Congress and the recently concluded annual NPC and CPPCC sessions. He said that China has put science, technology and innovation higher on its agenda, highlighting innovation as the primary driving force of development and strategic underpinning of economic modernization, and that China is comprehensively strengthening basic research, applied basic research and technological innovation, with a view to making science, technology and innovation an important engine and support for the country’s development in the new era.

Maesincee expressed appreciation for China’s efforts. He said that Thailand cherishes the close cooperative relationship established over the years and is committed to deepening and broadening the bilateral science and technology cooperation on the platform of the China-Thailand Joint Committee for Cooperation in Science and Technology. He gave a briefing on Thailand’s Industry 4.0 and Eastern Economic Corridor plans and expressed the hope of carrying out bilateral cooperation in collaborative research, S&T achievement transformation and application demonstration based on alignment between the plans and China’s Belt and Road Initiative, so as to achieve alignment of the two countries’ development strategies and drive economic development for the benefit of the two peoples.

Also present at the meeting were Ye Dongbai, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, Cai Jianing, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, He Defang, Director General of the Department of Policies, Regulation and Supervision, Qin Yong, Director General of the Department of High-tech Development and Industrialization, and Zhang Zhihong, Director General of China Torch Center.