BEIJING — State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai on Jan 23.

China is willing to work with Thailand to implement the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries and push their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to reach a new stage, Wang said.

The South China Sea issue concerns China's sovereign rights and interests, said Wang, adding that China stands ready to manage and control differences with countries concerned through bilateral dialogue to enhance mutual trust and promote cooperation.

Don expressed the hope that the consultation on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea will be accelerated and believed that regional countries are capable of controlling the situation in the South China Sea.

The two sides also exchanged views on the drought in the Mekong River basin.