Thaksin pays profound condolences on the passing of former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, praising him as an economic commander who propelled China to become a global power, recalling their first meeting before he took office as Thai Prime Minister, and reaffirming his deep personal respect.
Today (13 Aug.), former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra posted a tribute to the former Chinese premier who has passed away:
"I wish to join in expressing my condolences on the passing of former Premier Zhu Rongji, a person whom I hold in the highest personal respect and regard.
Though he has long since stepped away from public life, the world will remember him as China's 'economic commander' — a figure who played an immensely important role in driving and transforming China until it rose to become the economic superpower it is today.
I look back fondly on our get-acquainted meeting, which was initially scheduled for just 15 minutes but turned into a full-format discussion lasting a full hour, during the period before I became Prime Minister. From that time onward, I was honored to build a relationship with him — both on a personal level and in working together — grounded in a shared vision for the prosperity of Asia, mutual trust, and an unwavering commitment to advancing Thai-Chinese relations ever further.
We still remember his visit to Thailand in 2001, at a time when Thailand had not yet recovered from the financial crisis. Yet he extended his support for currency exchange negotiations and pledged to purchase goods from Thailand.
I extend my deepest sympathies to his family and to the Chinese people on this profound loss."
