New air, sea links planned with Guangxi

       Thailand and China have agreed to open direct air and sea routes between Thailand and Nanning city in Guangxi province to lower logistics costs and expand co-operation in trade and investment.
       Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot disclosed the plan after leading a delegation to the fourth PanBeibu Gulf (PBG) Economic Co-operation meeting in Nanning last week.
       He said Thailand and China had agreed to open a direct flight between Thailand and Nanning, the capital of Guangxi, on top of the Thai Airways International between Thailand and Guilin, a tourist city in Guangxi.
       The countries agreed to promote road transport, especially on the R9 Highway linking Mukdahan province, Laos, Viet-nam and Southern China, and the R12 Highway linking Nakhon Phanom, Laos,Vietnam and Southern China.
       China is ready to facilitate transport of Thai farm exports like fruits and rice on the two highways, he said.
       In addition, both countries will push for a sea route between Thailand and Guangxi to reduce logistics costs and shorten the route, he said.
       The PBG covers Guangxi, Hainan,Guangdong and six Asean members on the Beibu Gulf, or Gulf of Tonkin: Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia,the Philippines and Brunei. It does not cover Thailand, Burma, Laos and Cambodia because they are not directly linked with coastal Southern China.
       Mr Alongkorn said that Thailand was accepted as a new member of PBG at the recent meeting. He described PBG as a new growth pole and a sustainable sub-region in the world.
       He said the Chinese government has set aside US$1 billion to set up a ChinaAsean Investment and Co-operation Fund for the construction of fundamental infrastructure, namely public utilities,logistics and communications links between Southern China and Thailand and Asean to accommodate increasing trade,investment and tourism.
       Several Thai investors have shown interest in agriculture, construction materials and logistics in the economic area around the Beibu Gulf, he said.
       PGB will be a catalyst to promote trade and investment between Asean and China. Trade value between Asean and China amounted to $231 billion last year, while investment was valued at $55 billion.