Chinese Defense Minister's Visit Deepens China-Thailand and China-Brunei Security Mutual Trust and Defense Cooperation

中国国防部长访问深化中泰、中文安全互信与防务合作

PLA Daily (解放军报) 30 July 2026

Summary

Defense Minister Dong Jun visited Thailand and Brunei in late July, meeting Thailand's Prime Minister and Brunei's Sultan and holding talks with both countries' defense leadership on bilateral and regional issues. The Thailand visit produced a concrete institutional output: a new '2+2' strategic dialogue mechanism at the foreign minister and defense minister level, framed as advancing the next phase of the China-Thailand community with a shared future (命运共同体). The Brunei engagements, timed to the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations, focused on personnel training, maritime security, and peacekeeping cooperation, but the readout names no equivalent new mechanism, leaving the specific deliverables from that leg of the trip unclear.

The announcement of a new '2+2' foreign minister and defense minister strategic dialogue mechanism between China and Thailand is a concrete institutional development that exceeds routine military diplomacy reporting.

Translation

On the afternoon of July 30, the Ministry of National Defense held a routine press conference, at which Ministry of National Defense Spokesperson Senior Colonel Jiang Bin answered questions from reporters.

Reporter: According to reports, Defense Minister Dong Jun recently visited Thailand and Brunei in succession. Please provide further details on the relevant situation.

Jiang Bin: Recently, Defense Minister Dong Jun visited Thailand and Brunei at the invitation of those countries. This is a concrete measure to implement the important consensus reached by the heads of state of China and Thailand and of China and Brunei, to deepen security mutual trust and defense cooperation, and to serve the building of a community with a shared future (命运共同体) in the neighborhood. During the visits, Minister Dong Jun called separately on the Prime Minister of Thailand and the Sultan of Brunei, and held talks with the defense leadership of both countries, conducting in-depth exchanges of views on bilateral state-to-state and military-to-military relations, the international and regional situation, and issues of common concern.

At present, China-Thailand relations are moving toward the next golden fifty years. The leaders of the two countries have reached important new consensus on deepening the building of the China-Thailand community with a shared future, and announced the establishment of a "2+2" strategic dialogue mechanism at the level of foreign ministers and defense ministers. We are willing to work together with the Thai side to maintain close strategic communication, deepen practical cooperation in joint exercises and training, personnel exchanges, humanitarian disaster relief, and other areas, and to advance the upgrading and improvement of China-Thailand military cooperation.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Brunei. Under the strategic guidance of the two countries' heads of state, both sides are moving toward building a higher-level China-Brunei strategic cooperative partnership. The two militaries will consolidate traditional friendship, further strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the areas of personnel training, maritime security, international peacekeeping, and other fields, safeguard common interests, uphold fairness and justice, and promote regional peace, stability, and prosperous development.

Original Chinese

7月30日下午，国防部举行例行记者会，国防部新闻发言人蒋斌大校答记者问。记者：据报道，近期国防部长董军先后访问泰国、文莱。请进一步介绍有关情况。蒋斌：近日，国防部长董军应邀访问泰国、文莱，这是落实中泰、中文元首重要共识，深化安全互信与防务合作，服务构建周边命运共同体的具体举措。其间，董军部长分别拜会泰国总理、文莱苏丹，并与两国防务部门领导举行会谈，就两国两军关系、国际地区形势和共同关心的问题深入交换意见。当前，中泰关系正迈向下一个金色50年，两国领导人就深化中泰命运共同体建设达成新的重要共识，宣布建立外长、防长“2+2”战略对话机制。我们愿与泰方一道，密切战略沟通，深化联演联训、人员交流、人道主义救灾等务实合作，推动中泰军事合作提质升级。今年是中文建交35周年，在两国元首战略引领下，双方正朝着打造更高水平的中文战略合作伙伴关系迈进。两军将巩固传统友谊，进一步加强人员培训、海上安全、国际维和等领域交流合作，维护共同利益，捍卫公平正义，促进地区和平稳定与繁荣发展。