Thailand is looking to China to boost its ailing economy and to draw in Chinese investments, as other sources of foreign funds dwindle. The effort to build China's business profile in Thailand came during Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's official visit to China.
泰国总理阿披实(Abhisit Vejjajiva)正在对中国进行正式访问，努力加强泰中两国的商业往来。观察人士指出，由于来自其他国家的资金减少，泰国正在转向中国，希望通过吸引中国投资来振兴泰国疲弱的经济。
Prime Minister Abhisit, leading a delegation of more than 100 officials and business people to China, announced business deals worth more than $1 billion. The agreements aim to increase Thai exports industries and to attract Chinese investors.
阿披实总理这次访华率领了一个由100多名政府官员和工商人士组成的代表团。阿披实表示已经跟中国达成了价值10亿多美元的商业协议。这些协议旨在增加泰国的出口业和吸引中国的投资者。
Mr. Abhisit also held talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing during his four-day visit, which ends Saturday.
在这次为期四天的访问中，阿披实在北京跟中国国家主席胡锦涛和中国总理温家宝举行了会谈。
The agreements involve exports of Thai rice, rubber, tapioca, fruits and jewelry. They are part of Thai Commerce Ministry efforts to expand business networks between the two countries, to counter the pain caused by the global economic slowdown.
双方签署的商业协议包括泰国稻米、橡胶、木薯、水果和珠宝出口。这是泰国商务部扩大两国工商交往努力的一部分，以减轻全球经济衰退给泰国带来的阵痛。
Somphob Manarangsan, director of the Chinese Studies Center at Thailand's Chulalongkorn University, says both countries want to boost trade and investment.
泰国朱拉隆功大学的中国研究中心主任颂蓬(Somphob Manarangsan)说， 两国都想增加贸易往来和投资。
"There are quite some prospects for the expansion of economic activity between Thailand and China," said Somphob. "Now the foreign trade of the two countries is just about $37 billion - the two way trade. So I think they try to expand the figure to achieve the $50 billion in the next few years."
他说：“人们对扩大中泰两国之间的经济活动充满了远景期望。现在，两国之间的贸易额只有370亿美元。所以我认为他们想努力扩大这个数字，希望在接下来的几年达到500亿美元。”
Somphob says exports still account for over 60 percent of Thailand's total output. Thai trade with China fell 25 percent to just over $11 billion in the first five months of this year, but Somphob expects the rate of decline to improve in the coming months.
颂蓬说，出口仍然占泰国总产出的60%以上。今年头5个月，泰中贸易下降了25%，超过110亿美元。但是颂蓬预期下降的速度在未来的几个月会得到改善。
The Thai government recently set out a national investment plan worth more than $40 billion as part of efforts to revive the flagging economy.
泰国政府最近推出了一项超过400亿美元的全国投资计划，努力改善低迷的经济。
The plan includes infrastructure projects, such as an expansion of the rail network. During his visit, Mr. Abhisit met with the chairman of the China Railway Engineering Corporation.
这项计划包括扩大铁路网等基础设施建设项目。阿披实总理在访华期间还会见了中国铁路工程公司董事长石大华。
Somphob says many countries like Thailand hope to benefit as Chinese businesses seek investments abroad.
颂蓬说，泰国跟许多其他国家一样，希望能在中国企业寻求海外投资时获得好处。
"From now on I think China will seem to boost outward foreign investment particularly in the field of direct investment," he said. "As you know that China has huge amounts of foreign reserves - so they need to go out to particularly to the developing economies."
他说：“我认为，从现在开始，中国将扩大在海外的投资，尤其是直接投资。中国有大量的外汇储备。所以他们需要走出去，尤其是向发展中国家投资。”
Thailand also hopes to lure back Chinese tourists, many of whom postponed visits over the past year because of the country's recent political uncertainties.
泰国还希望能把中国游客吸引回来。去年，许多游客因为泰国政治不稳而放弃了到泰国旅游的计划。 |