Editor's note: Meng Dong, a special commentator for CGTN, is an observer on international affairs. The article reflects the author's views and not necessarily those of CGTN.

China and Thailand are close friendly neighbors and important partners working hand in hand to advance green development and pursue a sustainable future. In recent years, guided by the principles of mutual benefit and collaborative governance, the two countries have steadily deepened practical cooperation in the fields of ecological environment and climate change. Focusing on key areas including environmental governance, ecological conservation, low-carbon transition and people-to-people bonding, they have advanced policy alignment, technology sharing, capacity building and industrial collaboration, delivering fruitful outcomes.

Building on their respective needs in ecological governance and climate action, China and Thailand have deepened their sharing of environmental and climate governance practices. The environmental authorities of the two countries have established regular, professional channels for personnel exchanges and mutual learning under bilateral and multilateral frameworks. Thailand has shared its practices in the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economy model, while China has systematically introduced the development path of its Beautiful China initiative. Through in-depth interactions, the two countries have built consensus, learned from each other's strengths, and fostered a sound pattern of coordinated progress.

To address the shared challenge of haze pollution in Southeast Asia, China and Thailand have joined forces to advance technology empowerment and experience sharing. In June 2026, the two countries jointly built an air quality monitoring facility, known as a "Super Station," which provides data support for the formulation and implementation of pollution control policies in Bangkok, and helps the city establish a more scientific air quality monitoring, assessment and early warning system.

Meanwhile, last year the two countries co-hosted the International Symposium on Haze Governance in Northern Thailand, where participants shared practical experience on core topics such as the control of agricultural straw burning and agricultural waste recycling, jointly advancing regional atmospheric governance.

Aligned with carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, the two countries have also deepened cooperation in clean energy, low-carbon technologies, green finance and green value chains, expanding ecological cooperation from environmental governance to industrial green upgrading and fostering a sustainable green economic growth model. Chinese enterprises have played an active role in Thailand's photovoltaic (PV) sector, supporting floating PV projects at the Sirindhorn Dam and Srinagarind Dam. The 180 MW floating PV facility at Srinagarind Dam, once fully operational, will cut carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 180,000 tons annually, helping optimize Thailand's clean energy mix. In addition, seven Chinese automakers have set up manufacturing bases in Thailand with cumulative investment exceeding $3 billion, and Chinese new energy firms have built electronic vehicle battery plants in the country, supporting the upgrading of Thailand's new energy industrial chain.

Putting ecological protection first, China and Thailand have carried out all-round joint conservation efforts covering coastal ecological restoration, marine ecological monitoring and biodiversity protection. The two countries have established the Joint Laboratory on Climate and Marine Ecosystems and deployed Thailand's first in-situ real-time video monitoring system for coral reefs. The system has successfully captured footage of critically endangered marine species, including hawksbill turtles, providing continuous data support for regional coral reef protection and marine biodiversity monitoring. The two sides have also jointly built coastal land-sea integrated monitoring stations and deployed self-developed monitoring equipment, providing solid technical support for coastal vulnerability management and marine ecological restoration.

China-Thailand ecological cooperation always puts people first and delivers tangible benefits to the public, with a focus on strengthening community-level capacity to address climate risks and adapt to climate change. Under the joint climate-resilient community demonstration project, 800 Thai households received household emergency supply kits in May 2026, to prepare for extreme weather events such as rainstorms and floods. Complementary climate adaptation training has also been provided to improve communities' practical capabilities in emergency evacuation and climate risk self-rescue. This people-centered, warm-hearted cooperation has consolidated the popular foundation of China-Thailand friendship.

In July 2026, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul paid an official visit to China. The two governments issued their Joint Statement towards a China-Thailand Community with a Shared Prosperous Future, under which both countries will strengthen cooperation on climate change, low-carbon economy, marine resources and environment, air and water pollution governance, and clean energy technologies, to deliver more practical outcomes in the building of the China-Thailand community with a shared future over the next 50 years.

First of all, the two countries will focus on priority areas including air pollution control, watershed ecological protection and climate change adaptation, and continue to deepen technical exchanges and experience sharing. As current co-chairs of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) mechanism, China and Thailand will work closely with other member states to jointly address regional environmental and climate challenges, build a green economic development belt in the Lancang-Mekong basin, and strengthen the green driving force of "LMC 2.0."

Moreover, centering on international conventions on climate action, biodiversity conservation, ozone layer protection, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury pollution prevention and control, the two sides will deepen tripartite collaboration among governments, research institutions and industries. They will continue to explore innovative models of green finance enabling ecological governance, and support the green and low-carbon transformation of industries and infrastructure in both countries.

Further, China and Thailand will build a long-term knowledge sharing and capacity building system. They will continue to pool quality practices and technical achievements in green development, climate governance and ecological protection, and carry out policy exchanges, talent training and joint research for developing countries at large, jointly contributing their wisdom to building an inclusive, resilient and sustainable green future for the region and the world.

Connected by mountains and rivers, China and Thailand are working together on green development. Looking ahead, the two countries will take ecology as a bond with win-win progress as their direction, continue to deepen practical green cooperation, jointly safeguard regional ecological security, and share the fruits of sustainable development. These efforts will further enrich the green foundation of the China-Thailand community with a shared future, and contribute to global ecological governance and climate action.

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