With the year 2020 being designated as the year of China-ASEAN digital economy cooperation, Benjamas Tanvetyanont, consul general of Thailand in Nanning, is optimistic that China and Thailand will bolster its digital cooperation.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has promoted the development of new business forms and digital economy will become a major area for cooperation between Thailand and China, she said during an interview on Nov 15.

Tanvetyanont added that she hopes this year's China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), which is being held in Nanning from Nov 27 to 30, will help revive and stimulate economic development in both ASEAN nations and China.

She noted that Thailand is the first country in ASEAN to promote the commercial application of 5G and has put the service into operation in its Eastern Economic Corridor to attract investment in areas spanning 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT), advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, as well as augmented reality.

"The digital economic cooperation between China and ASEAN will bring new vitality to regional development. We are looking forward to further cooperation with China in digital economy, including digital infrastructure and e-commerce," said Tanvetyanont.

The trade volume between China and ASEAN in the first 10 months of this year has amounted to 3.79 trillion yuan ($576.24 billion), with a year-on-year increase of 7 percent, and Thailand is among the top three largest trade partners of China in ASEAN.