Taipei, June 27 (CNA) Thailand is an important partner for Taiwan, and the two countries should form a solid foundation on which closer ties can be established, Vice President Chen Chien-jen said on Tuesday.
Chen made the comments during a meeting in Taipei with a delegation of visiting overseas Chinese from the northern Thai cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.
In an effort to promote the government's New Southbound Policy, the vice president explained how it hopes to use Taiwan's advantages to strengthen cooperation and exchanges with countries in South and Southeast Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand.
He also highlighted the domains in which Taiwan and countries like Thailand could collaborate, including medical care, education, human resources, technological innovation and disaster prevention.
Taiwan is currently Thailand's third-largest foreign investor, to the tune of US$14 billion, Chen said.
Furthermore, the number of Thai students studying in Taiwan has also been on the increase, with a current data showing 1,700 people, he said.
Last year, more than 190,000 Thais visited Taiwan, a 57 percent increase over the previous year, he went on, adding that the growth could be attributed to the launch last August of a visa waiver program for Thai tourists.
The vice president also commended the overseas Chinese in Thailand for assisting the government in strengthening exchanges between Taiwan and Thailand, adding that bilateral relations have seen substantial progress in recent years.
Chen again expressed his hope of working with the overseas Chinese community in Thailand in an effort to build closer ties and cooperation between Taiwan and Thailand.
