In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Yingluck expressed her satisfaction over the decade-long cooperation between China and ASEAN under the framework of strategic partnership, which has brought peace and prosperity for both sides.

　　She pledged that Thailand would give full play to its role as country coordinator between China and ASEAN by working with"hard effort"and on the principle of trust to cement the strategic partnership between the two sides.

　　According to the prime minister, the trade volume between China and ASEAN, which currently stands at about 300 billion U.S. dollars, could reach 500 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 when the bloc's 10 economies integrate under one roof, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

　　Speaking highly of the time-honored China-Thailand ties, Yingluck underlined the importance of people-to-people exchanges between the two nations, especially in the form of tourism.

　　Yingluck cited with great interest"Lost in Thailand", a Chinese hit comedy in the kingdom, as a good channel to connect the two peoples. She said Thailand, a country full of natural wonders and cultural heritages, hopes to increase tourism exchanges with China. "I would like to thank all the Chinese tourists to Thailand. All Thais welcome the Chinese people coming to Thailand because we have been close to each other for a long time,"she said.

　　Speaking of her upcoming trip to the 10th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning in early September, Yingluck said the event would provide a great opportunity for both Chinese and ASEAN investors to exhibit and promote their products and seek business opportunities.