The Thai government seems to be placing greater importance on the visit
of US President Barack Obama than that of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, prompting
observers to suggest there is an imbalance in the Kingdom's engagement with the
two rival superpowers.
The Cabinet has decided to commit
to joining a range of Washington-sponsored schemes to support the US role in
the region, in both the economic and security spheres.
On the economic front, the
government will announce during Obama's visit its intention to join the US-led
Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) regional free-trade scheme, although the local
business community, civic groups and academics have warned of its negative
implications for the Thai economy.
The Commerce Ministry suggested
the Cabinet include the government's intention to join the TPP in a joint
statement to be issued after a meeting between Obama and Prime Minister
Yingluck Shinawatra, although many agencies have complained that they have not
been consulted over the sensitive issue of a free-trade agreement.
Since 2005, the US has expressed
its desire to have Thailand and many other nations in the region join such a
comprehensive free-trade agreement, but Bangkok has always declined, saying it
needed time to study the plan.
The Cabinet on Monday also agreed
to re-activate the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement Joint Council to
champion liberalisation of trade and investment.
On the security front, Defence
Minister Sukampol Suwannathat and US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta jointly
announced the 2012 Vision for the Thai-US Defence Alliance in the 21st century,
in which Thailand will provide its support to the US presence in the region.
The Obama administration has made clear that it wants to have a greater
military presence in Asia-Pacific amid increasing Chinese influence in the
region.
At the East Asia Summit in Phnom
Penh next week, which Obama will attend, Yingluck will do what many previous
Thai governments have been reluctant to do, by expressing a willingness to join
the Washington-sponsored Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) to control the
spread of weapons of mass destruction. Thailand delayed its decision for years
to maintain comfortable relations with countries that might be considered
targets of the PSI.
The visit of Chinese Premier Wen
will begin only a day after Obama finishes his visit to Thailand. Like Obama,
Wen will stay overnight in Bangkok. He will also have a bilateral meeting with
Yingluck to follow up on existing cooperation, but no specific issues have been
highlighted. Cooperation between the two nations on many fronts, such as the
high-speed train project, water management, energy and education are in
discussions, but are still far from being concluded, according to a Chinese
official.
Premier Wen will attend the
opening ceremony of the Chinese Cultural Centre in Bangkok and preside over the
signing of some low-key bilateral agreements, such as the Agreement on
Educational Cooperation and the Exchange of the Instruments of Ratification of
the Treaty on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.
However, a senior official at the
Thai Foreign Ministry said it's unfair to compare the two visits as the two leaders
are in different situations. Obama was just re-elected for a second term in the
White House, while Wen is about to step down following the selection of a new
Chinese leadership. Although Chinese Ambassador Guan Mu said the main policy
and direction of relations with Thailand would not change, the Foreign Ministry
official anticipated that Wen would not be in a position to commit to anything
major during his visit.
Balancing act
Obama
Granted an audience with HM the
King
Staying overnight in Bangkok
Visiting cultural sites
Govt to announce plans to join
TPP, PSI
Announcement of 21st Century
Security Partnership ahead of visit
Wen
Granted an audience with HM the
King
Courtesy call on Privy Council
President Gen Prem Tinsulanonda
Staying overnight in Bangkok
Opening the Chinese Cultural
Centre
Witness signing of pacts on
education and prisoner transfers
Supalak
Ganjanakhundee
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