The U.S. Ambassador to Thailand said today that the United States supports Thailand’s relationship with China, countering suggestions that Thailand has turned to Beijing amid a chill in ties between Bangkok and Washington.
Ambassador Glyn Davies’ comments follow those by the Thai junta last week that it was not distancing itself from the United States despite blossoming military and political ties between Bangkok and Beijing since a 2014 coup.
Last week, Thailand’s air force joined military exercises with China’s air force at a military base northeast of Bangkok aimed at increasing “mutual trust and friendship”.
China has said it is supportive of Thailand’s military rulers and, since the coup, Thailand’s military generals have sought to counterbalance the country’s ties with Washington and launched a charm offensive towards China.
Recent deals between China and Thailand include an ambitious project to build rail links from southern China to Thailand and plans by the Thai navy to buy submarines worth US$1 billion from China.
“I don’t worry about Thailand’s relationship with Beijing. I think it’s a good thing for Thailand to have a relationship with China,” Davies told reporters in Bangkok today.
“We try to have a good relationship with China too.”
Thailand has been one of Washington’s staunchest allies in Southeast Asia but following the coup, Washington downgraded joint military exercises and training with Thailand saying they would be restored once a general election is held.
“The relationship with the United States and Thailand is a very deep, broad relationship,” Davies said. “…It’s across the board. We work together in law enforcement, security, environment, refugees, trafficking, all of these things we work with Thailand and for us its a very beneficial relationship.”
China has rattled nerves in Southeast Asia with its increasingly bold assertion of sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, where China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have competing claims.
Davies has come under fire for his recent comments expressing dismay over “the lengthy and unprecedented prison sentences handed down by Thai military courts against civilians” for breaching a defamation law.
Last Friday around 200 people led by firebrand Buddhist monk Luang Pu Buddha Issara protested at the US embassy in Bangkok against the new ambassador, who they accused of meddling in Thai affairs.
Meanwhile today a group of Phuket locals complained to the local governor about the envoy’s “inappropriate” comments, Phuket News reported.
Story and photo: Reuters
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