(Xinhua/Yan Yan)
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith in Beijing on Friday.
Stressing that China has always regarded Laos as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, Xi said China is willing to work with Laos to achieve a new leap forward in bilateral relations and build a China-Laos community with a shared future for all times in the new era.
Laos fully shares China’s view and supports strengthening bilateral relations. He is ready to work with China to consolidate high-level mutual political trust, Thongloun Sisoulith said.
Xi made four proposals to advance bilateral relations, including upholding the socialist path, laying a solid foundation for mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthening the traditional friendship between the two peoples and improving foreign policy coordination.
The two sides should jointly safeguard the socialist system and the ruling status of the Communist Party, and deepen exchanges of experience in party and state governance, he said.
He called on both sides to seize the opportunity provided by the establishment of the “3+3” strategic dialogue on diplomacy, defense and public security to deepen cooperation in law enforcement and security, and resolutely combat cross-border crime.
Noting that China is willing to work with Laos to strengthen cooperation under the China-Laos Economic Corridor, Xi said the two sides should accelerate railway connectivity between China, Laos and Thailand and quickly achieve greater regional connectivity.
China and Laos should strengthen cooperation in traditional sectors such as agriculture and electricity, and tap emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and digital economy, Xi said, adding that China will continue to provide aid to Laos within its means.
Xi said the two countries should take the opportunity provided by the China-Laos Year of Friendship in 2026 to strengthen cooperation in culture, education, health and at the subnational level. He said he was willing to collaborate with Laos on talent training programs and launch more “small but beautiful” projects aimed at improving living conditions.
China appreciates that Laos upholds the one-China principle, supports the four global initiatives, actively participates in Belt and Road cooperation, and firmly supports China on its core interests and major concerns, Xi said.
China hopes to see Laos play a greater role in international and regional affairs, and the two sides should work closely within multilateral frameworks to safeguard the common interests of the Global South, he added.
Thongloun Sisoulith said the visit was of great significance as it is his first official visit abroad since his re-election as Secretary-General and President of Laos, which also coincides with the 65th anniversary of bilateral relations and the Laos-China Friendship Year.
China today is the standard bearer of the socialist system and developing countries, and a pillar of safeguarding world peace and promoting the construction of a multipolar world, Thongloun Sisoulith said, adding that China’s development has provided valuable experience to a large number of developing countries, including Laos.
He stressed that the Lao side firmly adheres to the one-China principle and supports the series of major global initiatives proposed by General Secretary Xi.
The Lao side is also willing to strengthen cooperation with China in the fields of national defense, law enforcement and security, jointly combat illegal activities including online gambling and telecommunications fraud, promote cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, investment, mineral resource exploitation, clean energy, digital economy, modern agriculture and environment, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges, he continued.
At the end of their meeting, the two sides jointly witnessed the signing of cooperation documents covering areas such as inter-party exchanges, people’s well-being, finance, customs, trade, youth exchanges and media.
Before their meeting, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan presided over a welcoming ceremony for Thongloun Sisoulith and his wife Naly Sisoulith in front of the Great Hall of the People. Mr. Xi and Ms. Peng also hosted a welcome banquet in their honor in the evening.
(Xinhua/Gao Jie)
