Thailand's new prime minister has started a four-day trip to China. Srettha Thavisin will attend an international forum on China's Belt and Road Initiative that will be held in Beijing from Tuesday.

It's Srettha's first visit to China since he took office in August.

He's scheduled to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Srettha also plans to meet with the chairman of Chinese telecom equipment giant Huawei and other business leaders in a bid to attract investment to his country.

China's economic presence has been increasing in Thailand. Chinese automakers have been ramping up electric vehicle sales this year. They recently announced plans to build factories in the Southeast Asian nation.

Meanwhile, the Thai government has been working to revitalize the domestic tourism industry. It has allowed visa-free entry for Chinese tourists since last month.

During his stay in China, Srettha plans to urge Chinese tourism companies to help promote travel to Thailand.

Srettha is putting priority on economic policies. He hopes to strengthen cooperation with Beijing to help Thailand's economy recover from the pandemic and boost growth.