AFTER the collapse of the unfinished State Audit building during last Friday’s earthquake the Chinese embassy today (Apr. 4) urged that Chinese companies not be slandered, Naewna newspaper said.
The contractor for the construction of this building is ITD-CREC joint venture (Italian-Thai Development Plc and Chinese Railway Number 10 Engineering Group Company) with the Chinese company holding 49% stake.
Foreign entities investing in Thailand are allowed to hold a maximum 49% of the shares in a company.
The Facebook page of the Chinese embassy posted the reply of a spokesperson to a question from the media as follows:
Question: In recent days, the collapse of a building, which was partly constructed by CREC, has drawn considerable criticism against Chinese companies in Thailand. What is the Chinese embassy’s opinion on this matter?
Answer: Mutual cooperation between China and Thailand has helped promote the development of both countries and brought happiness to the people of both countries. Cooperation in infrastructure construction is an important part of cooperation between the two sides.
Not long ago, a building that CREC partly constructed collapsed due to an earthquake, resulting in deaths and injuries. This incident has been widely watched by Thai society, and the Thai government is investigating the cause of the collapse. In this regard, the joint venture group ITD-CREC, in which Chinese Railway Number 10 Engineering Group Company is involved, has issued a public statement confirming that the procurement of materials and construction of the building were carried out in strict accordance with the Project Agreement (ToR), relevant laws, engineering standards and good engineering practices to ensure the quality and safety of the project.
The ITD-CREC joint venture is currently fully cooperating with the Thai government in the investigation, and believes that the investigation results will yield scientific and fair conclusions.
In recent years, a large number of Chinese companies have accepted Thailand’s investment promotion policies and have come to invest and operate businesses in Thailand, which has created hundreds of thousands of jobs, trained a large number of high-tech personnel, and made significant contributions to the development of industries and generated tax revenue for Thailand.
In addition, these Chinese companies have actively participated in social responsibilities, such as disaster relief and carrying out social welfare activities.
The Chinese side supports the investigation and prosecution of some companies’ improper behaviour in accordance with the law, but opposes the slander and distortion of facts against Chinese companies.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Rescue operation at the collapsed building.
Front Page: The People’s Republic of China flag and the rubble of the collapsed building. Photos: Naewna
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