On December 4, the Consulate General of Thailand in Shanghai held a National Day reception. Gao Xiaomei, vice-chairwoman of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and over 300 consular officials of various countries and representatives of the organizations concerned attended the event.

Gao Xiaomei and Ranoppun Kapittai, acting consul general of Thailand, had a brief meeting before the reception. Gao Xiaomei said China and Thailand have developed their relations smoothly and the traditional friendship between the two peoples has continued to grow up healthily and steadily in recent years. Shanghai and Thailand have had productive exchange and cooperation in the economic, trade, tourist, cultural and other areas, and the total volume of import and export between Shanghai and Thailand recorded a double-digit growth in the first half of this year, which cannot be separated from the efforts by the Thai Consulate General. She expected Thailand to play a greater role in the Belt & Road development and in the course of interconnectivity between China and the ASEAN countries.

Acting Consul General Ranoppun Kapittai said now Thailand receives increasingly more Chinese tourists and the Thai Consulate General in Shanghai processes on average 8,000 visa applications every day. She also hoped more Thai people will come to visit Shanghai and the Thai Consulate General will make greater efforts to promote the exchange and cooperation between Shanghai and Thailand.