China giving US weapons sales to Thailand a run for its money

Royal Thailand Army members participating in a joint Royal Thailand Army and Indian army exercise at the Foreign Training Node in Umroi 30km from Shillong, in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya. - AFP

BANGKOK: When signing a vision statement with the US last month, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha quietly sat as Pentagon chief Mark Esper touted the commitment of an old ally at a time of "external coercion and intimidation” in Asia -- a clear reference to China.

Less than an hour later, Prayut -- a former army chief -- signed a similarly vague defence cooperation agreement with Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe while also pledging to support key Beijing policies like the Belt and Road Initiative to finance infrastructure investment around the globe.