FIO Successfully Hosted the 10th Steering Committee Meeting of the Thailand-China Joint Laboratory for Climate and Marine Ecosystem

On September 13th, 2022, the 10th Steering Committee Meeting of the Thailand-China Joint Laboratory (hereinafter referred to as the "Laboratory") for Climate and Marine Ecosystem was held in a combination of online and offline methods. Xu Heyun, Director of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the meeting. Sumana Kajonwattanakul, Director of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand, and Qiao Fangli, Vice Director of FIO, jointly serving as the chairpersons of the steering committee, also delivered speeches at the opening ceremony.

During the one-day conference, the delegations from both countries listened to the annual work report of the Laboratory, discussed the achievements and progress of the 9 Thailand-China marine cooperation projects and 11 sub-projects currently under research, and deliberated on potential cooperation projects and the work plan for the next year. Delegations of both sides expressed their satisfaction with the operation of the Laboratory and the research results that the Laboratory achieved in the cooperation projects. They decided to continue to implement related cooperation projects. Representatives from the natural resources and marine departments of China and Thailand, totaling over 60 people, attended the meeting. They conducted in-depth discussions on cooperation-related topics and reached a consensus on priority areas for future cooperation. Finally, both sides agreed that the 11th Steering Committee Meeting of the Thailand-China Joint Laboratory for Climate and Marine Ecosystem will be held in Thailand in 2023.

Both China and Thailand are important maritime nations. Both sides hold a general consensus on the response to climate change, marine resources development and protection, marine disaster prevention and mitigation, and sustainable development. During 2011 and 2013, in the presence of leaders of both countries, the State Oceanic Administration of China (now the Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand signed a series of crucial cooperation documents, opening up a new chapter of bilateral maritime cooperation. These documents include the Memorandum on Maritime Cooperation between the State Oceanic Administration of China and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Kingdom of Thailand, the Joint Statement between the People's Republic of China and the Kingdom of Thailand on Establishing a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Five Year Plan (2014-2018) for Maritime Cooperation between the State Oceanic Administration of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Kingdom of Thailand. On June 6, 2013, the Thailand-China Joint Laboratory was officially established in Phuket, Thailand. The Laboratory is committed to building a national platform for bilateral maritime cooperation, and comprehensively facilitating the bilateral marine science and technology cooperation, the protection of marine ecological environment and the sustainable development of marine resources. Under the framework of the Five-year Plan (2014-2018) for Maritime Cooperation between the State Oceanic Administration of China and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Kingdom of Thailand, a lot of cooperation projects have been implemented with the support of the Thailand-China Joint Laboratory, achieving fruitful results. In addition, bilateral personnel exchange has become more frequent. The Laboratory sets an example for China and other ASEAN countries to carry out pragmatic marine cooperation. From 2012 to 2019, the two sides successfully held nine Steering Committee Meetings, providing guarantees for the operation of the Thailand-China Joint Laboratory, cooperation project management, and personnel exchange and training. The successful hosting of this Steering Committee Meeting played an important role in promoting continued cooperation between China and Thailand in marine science and technology.

Group Photo of Chinese Participants at the Meeting

Group Photo of Thai Participants at the Meeting