Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called for strengthened cooperation between China and Laos, emphasizing the need to build a community with a shared future characterized by high standards, quality, and a high level of collaboration. The remarks were made during a meeting with Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao president, in Vientiane on Friday.
Li conveyed cordial greetings from Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, congratulating Laos on successfully hosting the series of leaders’ meetings on East Asia cooperation. He highlighted the enduring relationship between China and Laos as socialist comrades and brothers, noting that over the past 60 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the relations between the two parties and countries have withstood international changes and shown new vitality.
General Secretary Xi and General Secretary Thongloun have maintained close strategic communication, leading the construction of the China-Laos community with a shared future in the new era, Li said. He affirmed that China has always placed the development of relations with Laos in a special and important position in its neighborhood diplomacy.
Li emphasized that China firmly supports Laos in pursuing a socialist path that aligns with its national conditions and is ready to continue supporting each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns. He called on both sides to speed up the implementation of the new action plan for building a China-Laos community with a shared future and to continue promoting the strategic alignment between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Laos’s transformation from a landlocked to a land-linked country.
The Chinese premier urged both nations to enhance practical cooperation in trade, investment, production capacity, electricity, minerals, and other fields. He highlighted the importance of tapping into potential opportunities, leveraging the China-Laos Railway’s driving effect, and pushing for tangible results in all-round cooperation. Li also expressed China’s readiness to expand people-to-people exchanges and cooperation with Laos in culture, tourism, and education to enhance mutual understanding and friendship, laying a solid public foundation for deepening bilateral cooperation.
Thongloun asked Li to convey his sincere greetings to Xi Jinping and congratulated China on the success of the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, as well as the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. He praised China’s historic development achievements and its rising international influence under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core.
The Lao president stated that the Lao party, government, and people have always regarded China as an inseparable good neighbor, good friend, good comrade, and good partner. Thongloun affirmed that Laos resolutely adheres to the one-China principle, firmly supports China in safeguarding its core interests on issues concerning Taiwan, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong, and firmly supports the three global initiatives: the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative.
Laos is ready to further strengthen high-level exchanges with China, reinforce the alignment of Laos’s national development strategy with the BRI, advance cooperation in key areas such as the Laos-China Railway, deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and push the construction of the Laos-China community with a shared future to a higher level to better benefit the two peoples, Thongloun said.
Reference(s):
Li Qiang calls on China, Laos to enhance practical cooperation
cgtn.com