Chinese, Lao FMs meet in Beijing, pledge stronger ties

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR Thongsavanh Phomvihane in Beijing on Thursday, with both pledging to push forward the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future. 

Chinese analysts described the meeting as highly productive, instilling greater confidence and laying a promising foundation for future collaboration between the two countries. 

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that over the past 64 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two parties of China and Laos and the two nations have stood together through challenges and provided mutual support. The comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries has become ever more robust and resilient. 

China firmly supports Laos in strengthening the leadership of its party and expresses willingness to enhance strategic mutual trust, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and promote the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future, Wang said. 

Thongsavanh praised China's leapfrog development amid a complex external environment. He also said that Laos firmly adheres to the one-China policy and stands ready to work with China to make greater progress in building a Laos-China community with a shared future.

Phomvihane is visiting China from March 12 to 15. Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee also met with Thongsavanh Phomvihane in Beijing on Thursday.

"The talks between the two sides were highly productive, as it not only reaffirmed their past experiences of bilateral cooperation but also established a promising foundation for future collaboration in the coming years," Zhou Shixin, director of the Institute for Foreign Policy Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, told the Global Times.

In their meeting, Wang said China is willing to work with Laos to further deepen and expand practical cooperation, advance the construction of the China-Laos Economic Corridor, enhance the China-Laos Railway's operational capacity, accelerate comprehensive development along the railway line, and expand collaboration in energy, artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and other fields. 

Wang also told Thongsavanh the two sides can strengthen bilateral and multilateral law enforcement cooperation to combat telecommunications fraud, gambling, and other cross-border criminal activities with full force. 

"The areas of deepening cooperation with China align with Laos' national vision and need for more robust economic development," Ge Hongliang, vice dean of the ASEAN College at the Guangxi Minzu University, told the Global Times.

Zhou emphasized the development of the flagship project between the two countries, the China-Laos Economic Corridor, with the China-Laos Railway as an important part, has already laid a solid foundation. The meeting has instilled confidence that further practical cooperation regarding the railway's expansion can be anticipated.

China's two sessions have just concluded successfully, setting a GDP growth target of around 5 percent for 2025. As comrades and brothers, China welcomes Laos to seize the new opportunities of China's development and join hands to march toward modernization, Wang told Thongsavanh. 

The between China and Laos is not limited to bilateral relations. Previously known as a landlocked country, Laos has now become a land-linked nation. As a result, Laos plays a significant role in connecting China with other ASEAN countries in the Southeast Asian region in many aspects, Zhou added. 

After the meeting, both sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Jointly Promoting Cooperation on the Global Security Initiative. 

This collaboration sets an example, potentially encouraging more ASEAN nations to join China to promote and cooperate on the Global Security Initiative, Zhou believed.