The growing trade and economic ties between China and Thailand were further cemented with the signing of a new visa exemption agreement.

China and Thailand signed an agreement in Bangkok on Sunday on the mutual visa exemption, which will officially come into effect on March 1, 2024.

As two of the largest trading partners within the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), China and Thailand have seen their bilateral trade surge in recent years thanks to tariff reductions under the free trade deal.

In 2022, the trade volume between China and Thailand reached 135 billion U.S. dollars, up by three percent year on year. And last year, the total import and export volume between China and RCEP nations reached 1.75 trillion U.S. dollars, accounting for about a third of China's total foreign trade.

Among RCEP countries, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are the latest nations to ink visa exemption deals with China.