BANGKOK, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Wednesday met with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, both stressing the need to deepen cooperation in coping with global financial crisis and economic downturn.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva (R) meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in Bangkok, capital of Thailand, March 25, 2009. (Xinhua/Thana Nuntavoranut) Photo Gallery>>>

    The two met at the Parliament in central Bangkok, Abhisit told Yang that Thailand is ready to join efforts with China in deepening cooperation in many areas such as agriculture, tourism and trade, with the vision to cope with the challenges of global financial crisis.

    The Thai PM said China has played an important role in enhancing confidence on Asia's economic growth, and praised China's efforts in installing economic stimulus measures.

    Yang said Thailand and China have set a good example of friendly and mutual-beneficial relationship among Asian countries. In face of spreading negative impacts of financial crisis, China and Thailand, as well as other ASEAN countries, work together in this difficult time to find solutions to the crisis while looking for new ways to broaden cooperation.

    Yang also expressed China's will to help push forward the integration process of both ASEAN and the East Asia as a community. The coming ASEAN and East Asia Summit and related summits have significant meaning, said Yang, and China is ready to work closely with other attending parties for the meetings to yield positive results.

    Yang also met with Thailand's Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda in the afternoon.

    Yang was on a three-day working visit to Bangkok from Tuesday, ahead of the ASEAN plus three (China, Japan and South Korea) summits and East Asia Summit scheduled for April 10-12 in Thailand's beach town Pattaya.