An international cargo train of China-Laos Railway is pictured at Wangjiaying West Station in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan province, on Jan 2, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
China and Laos signed a memorandum of understanding on jointly promoting cooperation on the Global Security Initiative on Thursday, vowing to step up the building of a community with a shared future.
The document was signed in Beijing following official talks between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane, who started his three-day visit to China on Wednesday.
While enhancing bilateral ties, the two foreign ministers also exchanged views on regional and international issues of their common interests.
Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, hailed the development of the countries' comprehensive strategic partnership, saying that China consistently promotes the China-Laos relationship by viewing Laos as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy and taking the strategic perspective of the future of socialism.
China firmly supports Laos in promoting reform and opening-up, enhancing international status, he said, adding the country is willing to enhance strategic mutual trust with Laos, strengthen unity and cooperation, and accelerate the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future.
Wang expressed China's willingness to work with Laos to uphold high-level strategic guidance and enhance exchanges at all levels between the two parties and countries.
He called for deepening and expanding practical cooperation, promoting the construction of the China-Laos Economic Corridor, strengthening the comprehensive development of the China-Laos Railway and areas along the route, and expanding cooperation in energy, artificial intelligence, digital economy, and other fields.
Wang also underlined the need to enhance bilateral and multilateral law enforcement cooperation and strive to combat cross-border crimes such as telecom fraud and gambling.
China firmly supports ASEAN unity and self-reliance, and is willing to work together with Laos and other ASEAN countries to jointly maintain peace, stability, development and revitalization in the region, he said.
Wang highlighted that no matter how the external environment evolves, China will always adhere to opening-up, using its openness to promote reform and development. As comrades and brothers, China warmly welcomes Laos to seize the new opportunities presented by China's development and join hands to advance modernization, he said.
Thongsavanh congratulated China on its successful convening of the sessions of the National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, expressing his appreciation for China's remarkable development in a complex external environment.
Noting Laos and China are socialist comrades and brothers who stand together in solidarity, he said that Laos firmly adheres to the one-China policy.
He expressed Laos' commitment to working with China to jointly implement the new Action Plan for the Laos-China Community with a Shared Future, enhance the economic value of the Laos-China railway and to develop it into a "Golden Corridor" and "Friendship Road" between Laos and China, which, in turn, further advance the development of connectivity between Laos, China, and Thailand.
