Thai PM to reassure China on Asian summit

CHINA: Thailand’s Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is to visit China to reassure Beijing that a key Asian summit postponed due to unrest and rescheduled for October will be secure, state media said Thursday.

Vejjajiva will visit China from June 24 to 27, the Thai foreign minister told the official Xinhua news agency, adding that negotiations of a free trade area between China and ASEAN would be completed during the trip.

Thailand has been rocked by political turmoil that led to the postponement of a summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its six key regional partners - including China - in Pattaya in April.

Anti-government activists stormed the venue where foreign leaders had gathered, and authorities were forced to evacuate them, some by helicopter from the hotel roof. Beijing, Monday, AFP