Chapter 679 The Big Trend
On the "Fuxing" EMU from Pengcheng to Beijing, there is a separate carriage. The glass doors at the front and rear of the carriage have been closed. This kind of glass door is tempered glass and will not be closed normally. Only something like this Important guests will only close the door when they are alone so as not to be disturbed by other passengers.
There is also a dedicated car lady and a car policeman to provide services in the carriage.
Inside the carriage, everyone in the Thai military delegation looked curious and shocked.
They have been shocked since arriving in Pengcheng.
Pengcheng's speed shocked them.
The China High-Speed Railway shocked them even more.
The modern train station is full of science fiction, and the high-speed train has a comfortable environment. It is very comfortable to ride on the high-speed train without any bumps.
The speed shown shocked them.
They don't have such fast and smooth railways in Thailand.
"It seems that we came to China at the right time this time. It is possible for us to buy advanced fighter jets and advanced warships." Kong Somphone said optimistically.
Thailand's current army and air force ranks first in Southeast Asia. The army, in particular, has a large number of tanks and armored vehicles. It can almost protect itself, but the air force needs to be strengthened.
But what Thailand wants to strengthen most is its navy. A large part of Thailand's export trade is transported by sea.
China dispatched a naval formation to the Persian Gulf for escort, and continued to visit various friendly countries. Saudi Arabia made a big deal about it after acquiring missile boats and torpedo boats. When Thailand learned the news, the top military officials began to get excited.
China's missile boats, torpedo boats, frigates, and destroyers are advanced and willing to export. This undoubtedly gives a better choice to many countries in the world that rely on buying weapons to strengthen their national defense capabilities.
Weapons and equipment, whether from the Soviet Union or the United States, have a lot of political and economic conditions attached.
The more advanced the weapons and equipment, the more political and economic conditions are attached and the more unacceptable they are.
Small countries either don't buy it or agree to their terms.
As one of the Four Asian Tigers representing a new round of economic growth, Thailand has experienced rapid economic growth in recent years and its domestic economic structure has improved significantly. It is undoubtedly the first of the Four Asian Tigers.
Then, as the economy grew, the Thai government became increasingly concerned.
There is no other reason than that their national defense strength cannot match the results achieved in their economic construction.
Although the possibility is low, it is not completely impossible for a terrible situation to occur.
Besides, South Vietnam now has a lot of armed transport ships in the navy. If these armed transport ships fly the national flag, they are the navy. If they do not fly the flag, they are pirates.
Faced with South Vietnam's rogue practices, Thailand was the hardest hit area, and countless merchant ships were robbed.
The Thai Navy warships are small in tonnage and backward in performance, and there is no way to solve this problem.
The conflict between Thailand and South Vietnam has to be traced back to the Vietnam War. At that time, the United States leased many military bases in Thailand in order to win the war. A large part of the millions of tons of bombs the United States invested on the Vietnam battlefield were Shipped from Thailand.
This time, their most pressing concern is not the air force, but the strengthening of the navy and purchasing a batch of warships from Panshan Group.
At the same time, more in-depth cooperation negotiations will be conducted.
"We should talk about aircraft and warships. The hope is not small. We have known the other party's principles for so many years. As long as they give money, they are basically willing to buy them, deliver them on time, basically won't break the contract, the service attitude is very good, and there will be no politics. , economic additional conditions.” Chavalit Yongchaiyu said, “But we should also have in-depth discussions on shipping and the Kra Canal, which is beneficial to us.”
Over the years, the two sides have conducted five rounds of negotiations on shipping and the Kra Canal. There is a lot of consensus on cooperation. After all, it is very promising and has huge benefits for Thailand. The reason why there is no agreement is that the parties can never agree on the shareholding amount.
In this regard, Thailand plans to make concessions this time to promote the development of shipping on the Chao Phraya River and the construction of the Kra Canal.
Thailand alone cannot handle this matter, not even one of the projects.
Otherwise, Thailand would have done it long ago.
Originally, for Thailand, the United States was the best choice. After all, the United States and the Soviet Union were the only two superpowers in the world, and these two were also the best choices for everyone to choose as their eldest brother.
The Soviet Union was not suitable for Thailand. After all, Thailand was a constitutional monarchy.
If we choose the Soviet Union, then the King of Thailand and the royal family will be OVER!
That’s why Thailand chose the United States and became the United States’ most important military ally in Southeast Asia.
All this changed drastically in 1979.
The further you get to the back, the weaker you become.
When China's first Persian Gulf escort fleet paid a goodwill visit to Thailand when it returned, it almost became the last straw in the hearts of many people.
Thailand and China, this started a long time ago.
There are even many overseas Chinese in Thailand itself.
Since 1980, the development of overseas Chinese in Thailand has seemed to be on the fast track. Relying on their innate advantages, they have unique advantages in doing business.
Now Thailand's largest rubber supplier, largest grain dealer, etc. are all overseas Chinese.
These overseas Chinese are very keen to return to China to find their roots, continue to write their family tree, and are also very keen to invest in building their hometown.
The trend is rolling, and even Thailand is no exception and cannot be stopped.
Thailand currently has a population of 55 million, of which overseas Chinese account for 10 million, nearly 20%.
Many large overseas Chinese families have very powerful influence in the local area and are not easy to mess with.
What's more important is that Thailand's east, north, and west are surrounded by three sides.
This also means that Thailand now has no choice.
"Military procurement is very important, but shipping and the Kra Canal are even more important! Shipping and the Kra Canal will greatly promote the development of Thailand and can bring huge benefits. Look at Singapore now. It only provides shipping services every year. How much money do you make!" Chavali Yongchaiyu said in a deep voice.
Chavalit Yongchaiyu has higher pursuits. He has actively established friendly relations with China and made good friends with the Chinese and overseas Chinese a few years ago. Not long ago, he supported Kong Somphone to take over as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and they established an alliance.
Chavalit Yongchaiyu was very clear about the benefits of developing shipping on the Chao Phraya River and the Kra Canal.
He said: "Now the Chinese are building railways in Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. These two railways will be opened within this year. The construction of those two ports is developing very fast. I have already heard the news that the Chinese have decided to develop Mekong River shipping. , we can’t wait any longer, we may not have a chance!”
"Perhaps in the future, the China-Myanmar-Thailand or China-Laos-Thailand railways will also be connected and integrated into one." Chavalit Yongchaiyu's eyes flashed.
He chose to adopt a positive attitude in order to get more support and continue to move forward.
