The Economic Relations between China and Thailand under the Context of CAFTA: An Assessment

Shen Hongfang

Research School of Southeast Asian Studies/Faculty of International Relations/ Center of Southeast Asian Studies, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.

DOI: 10.4236/chnstd.2013.21008                

Abstract

The bilateral economic relations betweenChinaandThailandhave unprecedentedly increased since the signing of China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). This paper describes the rapid economic relations between China and Thailand from the perspectives of bilateral trade and investment as well as other forms of economic cooperation within the latest one decade, and elaborates the spectacular features of Sino-Thai bilateral economic ties in comparison with ASEAN as a whole and the other ASEAN member countries. In addition to explore the driving factors in boosting these two countries’ economic relations, the paper also explores the problems that exists since the two countries’ economic exchanges are as matter of fact under a framework of “South to South” type that embrace inevitably the week pointes such as lacking of complementarities and the others, the effect of free trade pact of “earlier heaviest” concluded by Sino-Thai government since 2003 as an experimental arrangement of CAFTA will be revaluated.

Keywords

Sino-Thai Economic Relations; CAFTA; Assessment

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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