Trade to top agenda between leaders
Trade between the US and Thailand will be high on the agenda when the postponed meeting between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is rescheduled.
The US-Thailand Strategic Dialogue, a periodical review of areas of bilateral cooperation, will take place in Washington DC today after it was previously hosted in Bangkok in December 2015.
This 6th Strategic Dialogue between the two countries is regarded as a special session as it will serve as a preparatory session for the eventual meeting of the two leaders, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Busadee Santipitaks.
Normally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministry are the main agencies in charge of the event. This time, however, the Commerce Ministry and Foreign Affairs Ministry are taking the lead.
Permanent secretary of foreign affairs Busaya Mathelin leads the Thai team this year, while the US side will be led by Acting Assistant Secretary of State Susan Thornton.
The Thai side will include officials from the Defence Ministry, Commerce Ministry and National Security Council.
Lt Gen Somsak Rungsita, deputy director of the Defence Ministry’s Office of Policy and Planning, will represent the defence ministry rather than the permanent secretary, while permanent secretary Wiboonlasana Ruamraksa will represent the Commerce Ministry.
A source from the ministry said there was only one important agenda for the ministry in this trip, and it’s trade.
Although the details of the trade talks have not been revealed, it is likely the US would ask Thailand to “eliminate trade barriers” to US agricultural products, pharmaceutical products and services, as US ambassador to Bangkok Glyn Davies earlier told the Bangkok Post.
Thai pig and chicken farmers have recently raised concerns that a ban on imports of pork and chicken from the US could be lifted under pressure from Washington.
Thailand’s purchase of Black Hawk helicopters, revealed last month, has led to speculation the government could order more armament purchases from the US.
This year alone, US$261 million worth of military deals are in the works, Mr Davies said.
Mr Davies admitted late last month that the purchase of armaments would partly to help the US-Thai trade imbalance, but trade barriers were the real problem for the US.
In recent meetings with national leaders, President Trump has consistently raised the issue of the trade deficit which many are running with the US.
One example is Mr Trump’s conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 Summit in Germany on July 8, when he focused on fixing the trade deficits the US runs with 16 countries, including Thailand and several EU member states.
From January to April, Thailand’s exports to the US were worth $9.5 billion, while it imported $3.3 billion in goods from the US, leaving a $6-billion deficit with the US.
Last year, from $40 billion trade in goods between the two countries, Thailand gained a $19-billion trade surplus.
The Strategic Dialogue is under way amid questions as to why the meeting between the Thai and US leaders, which was expected to happen this month, has been postponed.
Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said both parties agreed not to rush. Both Mr Don and Melissa Sweeney, spokeswoman for the US embassy in Bangkok, insisted the US president really wanted to meet Gen Prayut.
“During his call with Prime Minister Prayut on April 30, President Trump affirmed the US commitment to the longstanding alliance between the United States and Thailand, which actively contributes to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region,” Ms Sweeney said.
Mr Don said the delay was to make sure everything is ready and to avoid mistakes or flaws.
Thailand has always been careful in trying to balance its relationship with the super powers.
After a spate of recent armaments purchases from China, it has come under pressure as to whether it is leaning too heavily towards that country at the expense of its old ally, the US.