PM Prayut lays out 10-year plan at China-ASEAN Expo
To kick off the 18th annual China-ASEAN Expo taking place in Nanning, China from September 10 to September 13, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha gave a speech by video conference discussing a post-pandemic Asia. In his remarks, PM Prayut praised the Chinese government and pledged to focus the ASEAN-China relationship on public health, economic recovery, and sustainability.
The Thai prime minister gave his speech, including an expression of gratitude to the Chinese government for the opportunity for uniting all countries and sectors to achieve goals together by providing the China-ASEAN Expo every year.
He then spoke about the future of the region, a 10-year plan for comprehensive cooperation between the ASEAN coalition and China. PM Prayut spoke of concentrating efforts on long-term economic recovery and growth, public health security, and sustainability.
To address public health security, PM Prayut encouraged finding the safest ways to learn to live with Covid-19 as part of life now. Aside from that, vaccines were at the forefront of his strategy, suggesting building the infrastructure to manufacture and distribute vaccines throughout Asia and Southeast Asia, as well as developing new and more effective vaccines and antiviral treatments.
In terms of economic recovery, as part of PM Prayut’s 10-year plan, he calls for ratifying the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership as well as enhancing the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement. The plan also looks ahead to the digital economy of the future and providing access to technology and capital for startups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
Thailand is designated as the coordinator for sustainable development in ASEAN and PM Prayut committed ASEAN, in partnership with China, to make 2021 and 2022 the years of sustainable cooperation and development. The plan calls for keeping sustainability at the forefront of all aspects of the economy, the pandemic, and all growth. The focus over the next decade should be on implementing the Bio-Circular-Green economic model, as well as eliminating hunger and poverty in the region.
SOURCE: National News Bureau of Thailand
