Laos, China pledge to further boost bilateral ties

General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit pledged on Saturday to further develop bilateral relations with China.

When meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Bounnhang expressed gratitude for the years of support and help provided by the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government.

Laos is willing to maintain high-level exchange of visits, expand economic, trade and cultural cooperation, as well as strengthen coordination on international and regional affairs in the spirit of being good neighbors, friends, comrades and partners, he said.

He also vowed to further push forward the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.

For his part, Wang said China appreciated Laos for always firmly supporting China on issues concerning China's core interests.

China will also strongly support Laos in advancing its innovation and opening-up and exploring a development path suitable for its own situation, he said.

As the two countries are celebrating the 55th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations this year, the Chinese foreign minister said China is ready to lift the China-Laos relations to a new stage.

China would like to make joint plans with Laos on the implementation of the "Belt and Road" Initiative to help Laos improve its infrastructures while accelerating the construction of the China-Laos railway to realize connectivity, he said.

China will also work with Laos on cooperation of production capacity to support Laos to achieve industrialization and enhance the country's self-development ability, Wang added.

Also on Saturday, Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith met with Wang.

During their meeting, the Lao prime minister said his country has benefited from China's long-term support such as helping Laos launch its first satellite and jointly constructing the Laos-China railway which will give a big push to the development of Laos.

"Laos is willing to work together with China to carry forward the friendship between the two countries and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation."

Laos welcomes investment from Chinese enterprises in the country and will create favorable environment for them, he said.

"Laos will join hands with China to push forward the ASEAN-China cooperation."

Calling China and Laos an unbreakable community of common destiny, Wang said China would like to work with Laos to dovetail China's "Belt and Road" initiative with the Lao strategy of "turning a land-locked nation into a land-linked nation," enhance cooperation on production capacity, construct the China-Laos railway and push forward the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.

As Laos holds the rotating chair of ASEAN this year, China is willing to elevate the China-ASEAN ties to a new high, Wang added. Endit