China Showcases Its Role as a Reliable Partner During Visits by Foreign Monarchs

Chinese President Xi Jinping rolled out the red carpet on Friday for Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn—the first Thai monarch to visit China since diplomatic ties were established 50 years ago—using the occasion to highlight China’s image as a generous neighbour and dependable economic partner.

The arrival of King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida, following the recent visit of Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, has been framed in Chinese state media as proof of “friendly coexistence.” Commentators have portrayed the visits as a signal to other nations that China is trustworthy—drawing a stark contrast with the economic uncertainty triggered this year by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes.

Bilateral relations between China and Thailand have evolved dramatically since the Cold War, when Bangkok viewed Beijing as a threat and aligned closely with Washington against communism. Vajiralongkorn had visited China once before in 1987 as crown prince, though his father never travelled to Beijing despite repeated invitations.

Since the 1980s, a surge in trade and investment has strengthened ties. China is now a major source of tourists for Thailand’s crucial tourism sector and a key investor in industries such as automobile manufacturing. Last year alone, Thailand imported $80 billion worth of Chinese goods.

According to the official Xinhua news agency, Xi told Vajiralongkorn during their meeting that China is prepared to deepen strategic coordination and expand cooperation on major joint projects, including a railway connecting the two countries. Xi also raised the issue of increasing Thailand’s agricultural exports to China.

In an editorial, Xinhua invoked centuries-old trade links as the historical foundation for future cooperation, noting that long before Western colonial powers entered the region, Thailand conducted most of its overseas trade with China—exchanging rice, spices, and tin ore for porcelain, silk, tea, and ironware. The agency also recalled that Thailand sent table tennis players to China shortly before diplomatic relations were formalised, and that Beijing supplied crude oil to Bangkok in 1974 to help it overcome economic difficulties.

Juliette Loesch, a researcher at Paris-based INALCO, said the visit allows China to reaffirm its ties with the Thai monarchy while signalling its continued regional relevance at a time when U.S. influence appears to be waning. She noted that it comes just two weeks after Trump’s brief appearance at the ASEAN summit, where his only direct contribution was to oversee a short-lived peace declaration between Thailand and Cambodia—while China, by contrast, announced plans to deepen its free trade agreement with ASEAN.

Mutual Economic Security

Growing trade pressures from the West are also pushing China to strengthen economic links with its neighbours as the world’s largest manufacturer seeks new markets for goods facing rising barriers. This week, the European Union agreed to impose customs duties on low-value parcels starting next year—a move widely seen as targeting inexpensive Chinese e-commerce products, including those sold by retailers like Shein and Temu.

For smaller regional economies, however, there is limited room to confront a trading powerhouse like China.

Professor Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute in London, said Thailand—like many Southeast Asian countries—is wary of Beijing’s ambitions but recognizes the reality of China’s growing power. “With Trump weakening America’s reliability as an ally, it becomes even more important for Thailand to engage China effectively,” he said. Still, he added, “Beijing has not fully reassured Thailand, or most Southeast Asian nations, that they need not be concerned about China’s rise.”