China has affirmed to import agricultural commodities and by-products from Thailand to accommodate high demand among China's huge population, Minister of Prime Minister's Office Veerachai Veeramethikul said Tuesday.

Speaking after visiting China, Veerachai said he had received a written affirmation from the Chinese government that China had no policy to restrict imports of farm products from Thailand, the Thai News Agency quoted Veerasak as saying.

China has the population of nearly 1.3 billion, but the country's agricultural products do not meet the demand of the Chinese population.

Many kinds of Thai farm products such as rice and fruit are popular among the Chinese people, while Veerachai also asked Beijing to support importing natural rubber, longans, and cassavas from Thailand.

Meanwhile, he had invited Chinese businessmen to invest in rubber processing in the northern and northeastern regions of Thailand.

(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2009)