BEIJING: While China often refers to its strong ties with Thailand when it highlights the potential for cooperation among Asian countries, Thailand must be careful not to allow the relationship to become too one-sided, as evidenced by other regional Chinese collaborations, an academic has said.
Aksornsri Phanishsarn, an associate professor at Thammasat University's Faculty of Economics, spoke at the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilisations (Cdac) held last week in Beijing. She added she could see the importance that China places on Thailand.
On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered remarks to Cdac attendees calling for more openness and cooperation among countries in the region.
The event was held amid the growing tensions caused by a renewed trade war between the United States and China.
During his speech, Mr Xi drew upon Asia's rich cultural heritage.
"In the many places I have visited around the world, what has always fascinated me most are civilisations and their rich diversity," he said.
"I cannot help but think of the Central Asian city of Samarkand, the Luxor Temple in Egypt, Sentosa in Singapore, Wat Phra Kaew [the Temple of the Emerald Buddha] in Bangkok, and the Acropolis in Athens, to mention just a few.
"China is ready to work with other countries to protect Asian cultural heritage and better preserve and sustain our civilisations."
Ms Aksornsri said China and Thailand already cooperate and collaborate in many ways, adding Asean is an important trade partner of China as it both a big market and rich in resources.
Thailand, however, must be careful not to become a pawn in disagreements between global super-powers, she warned.
"I think China initiated a dialogue on Asian civilisations to highlight what it believes is the peaceful rise of China," she said.
"The adoption of soft power negates the need for aggression," Ms Aksornsri, also the former director of the National Research Council of Thailand's Thai-Chinese Strategic Research Centre, said.
Ms Aksornsri rejected speculation that the conference highlighting Asian civilisation was orchestrated as a rebuttal of Western influences, or insistence at the primacy of Chinese ones.
"At first I thought it might be that way, but it turned out not to be so," she said.
"The Greek president [Prokopis Pavlopoulos], one of the keynote speakers, said that different civilisations need not clash, but can instead cooperate. Greece is among the oldest civilisations of the world and lies between Europe and Asia," she said.
"I think they actually wanted to highlight the concept of civilisations around the world, but with an emphasis on the shared culture of the Asian region," she said.
Ms Aksornsri, who was invited as one of the speakers, said the event in Beijing also took place after the Belt and Road Forum held here last month and was obviously aimed at endorsing the Belt and Road Initiative, the intercontinental infrastructure strategy that China is pushing.
China invited over 2,000 participants from 47 countries to "show its greatness", she said, adding that Mr Xi's appearance reflected that China attached a great deal of importance to it.
Among the Thai participants were the secretary-general of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue, Bundit Limschoon, and the secretary-general of the National Research Council of Thailand, Sirirurg Songsivilai.
"The message was clearly aimed at reinforcing the idea that different civilisations can collaborate and work together for the greater good without losing any of their own identity," Ms Aksornsri said.
