BEIJING, July 1(Xinhuanet)-- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Friday told his Thai counterpart Thaksin Shinawatra that China wants to take the 30th founding anniversary of China-Thailand ties as an opportunity to strengthen its strategic cooperation with Thailand.

During official talks with Thaksin, who is in China for a three-day official visit, Wen said China also hopes the business circles of the two countries would improve economic and trade cooperation and join hands for the exploitation and utilization of new energy resources.

He also suggests the two countries improve cooperation in such areas as security, culture and tourism and actively implement the action plan of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership to push forward the Asian regional cooperation.

The Chinese premier also highlighted China-Thailand relations, saying that the bilateral ties are moving forward steadily over the past 30 years.

"China and Thailand are sincere friends," Wen said, adding that the development of bilateral ties have not only benefited the two peoples but also helped promote regional peace and development.

"To consolidate and develop China-Thailand good-neighborly friendly cooperation is the Chinese government's established policy. China is ready to continue to work with Thailand to promote the China-Thailand friendly cooperation," Wen said.

Thaksin said his visit to China on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of China-Thailand diplomatic ties demonstrates Thai people's deep friendship to the Chinese people.

"Thailand and China are like brothers and we are friends in need," Thaksin said.

He also expressed his government's appreciation for China's timely help to Thailand after the massive tsunami disaster on Dec. 26, 2004.

"To continuously deepen Thailand-China friendship and develop bilateral strategic cooperative relations is not only the Thai government's unswerving policy but also Thai people's wish," Thaksin said.

He also expressed warm welcome to Chinese enterprises, saying that he hoped Chinese companies would join hands with Thai partners in the exploration of biological energy as well as oil and gas resources.

He said Thailand also wants to increase investment in China andimprove cooperation with the Pearl River Delta region in south China.

On the upcoming second summit of the Greater Mekong Subregion on Economic Cooperation Program, Wen said China attaches great importance to the meeting and is willing to work closely with other countries in the region to push the regional cooperation into a more practical way.

After hour-long talks between the two prime ministers, China and Thailand signed four cooperative documents covering areas of biological technology, quarantine inspection, environmental protection and financial cooperation.

At the signing ceremony, China also handed over to the Thai government the test data of nearly 1,100 DNA samples from the victims, who were killed in the massive tsunami on Dec. 26, 2004.Enditem