Thailand’s military yesterday held an air show with China ahead of joint maneuvers in a sign of warming ties, but Thailand said it was not distancing itself from the US, which last year downgraded its military relationship following a coup.
Five Thai and Chinese military planes performed aerobatic demonstrations for assembled media, flying about 900m above ground at the Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, about 260km northeast of Bangkok.
Tomorrow and on Friday, Chinese and Thai air forces are to conduct their first joint exercises, which China has said are aimed at increasing “mutual trust and friendship.”
Photo: AFP
Since a coup in May last year, Thailand’s military generals have sought to counterbalance the nation’s ties with Washington and launched a charm offensive toward their neighbor to the north.
“Thailand has been pushing for this for quite some time,” said Air Marshal Bhanupong Seyayongka, director of operations for the Royal Thai Air Force. “We have been studying this plan for a long time.”
The US was critical of the coup and downgraded joint military exercises and training with Thailand, saying they would be restored once a general election is held.
Recent deals between China and Thailand include a plan by Thailand’s navy to buy submarines worth US$1 billion from China and an ambitious project to build rail links from southern China through Laos to Thailand.
Chinese tourism to Thailand is expected to be a record 7 million this year, up from 4.63 million last year, despite a deadly bomb attack at a major tourist spot in Bangkok in August.
However, senior Thai government officials said Thailand has not turned 180o toward China, despite a chill in ties between Bangkok and Washington following the coup.
Deputy government spokesman Major-General Werachon Sukhondhapatipak said Thailand’s foreign policy was to be friends with everyone, including the US.
“We are not trying to use China to counter the US. Our foreign policy is to have no enemies and to be friends with everyone,” Werachon said.
Bhanupong said Thailand would continue military exercises with the US.
“We will definitely keep practicing with the US as well,” Bhanupong said.
China has rattled nerves in Southeast Asia with its increasingly bold acts in the South China Sea, where Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and China all have competing territorial claims.
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