Chinese vice president meets Thai Princess Sirindhorn

BEIJING - Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan met with Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn here on Monday.

China highly values the traditional friendship with Thailand and the Thai royal family, Wang said, expressing the willingness to continue high-level exchanges and strengthening exchanges and cooperation in various fields between the two countries, so as to better benefit the two peoples.

Princess Sirindhorn is among the six foreigners who were awarded Sunday China's Medal of Friendship.

"This medal represents the Chinese government and people's recognition of the prominent contribution the princess has made to the two countries' friendship and demonstrates that 'Chinese and Thais are of one family,'" Wang said.

Sirindhorn expressed congratulations on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and expressed gratitude for being awarded the Medal of Friendship.

The Thai royal family attaches great importance to and actively supports the development of Thailand-China relations and is willing to continue promoting the two countries' friendship and pragmatic cooperation, Sirindhorn said.