BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhua) -- General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith in Beijing on Friday.
Noting 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 in bilateral ties and build an all-weather China-Laos community with a shared future in the new era.
Laos fully agrees with China and supports the upgrading of bilateral ties, and stands ready to work with China to consolidate high-level political mutual trust, Thongloun said.
Xi made four points to advance bilateral ties, which included keeping to the socialist path, building a strong foundation for mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthening the traditional friendship between the two peoples, and improving coordination on foreign policies.
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 the two sides to take the establishment of the "3+3" strategic dialogue on diplomacy, defense and public security as an opportunity to deepen law enforcement and security cooperation, and resolutely crack down on cross-border crimes.
Noting that China is ready to work with Laos to upgrade the China-Laos Economic Corridor cooperation, Xi said the two sides should accelerate railway connectivity among China, Laos and Thailand and achieve greater regional connectivity at an early date.
China and Laos should boost cooperation in traditional areas such as agriculture and electricity, and tap into emerging fields like artificial intelligence and the digital economy, Xi said, adding that China will continue to provide assistance to Laos within its capacity.
Xi said the two countries should take the Year of China-Laos Friendship in 2026 as an opportunity to expand cooperation in culture, education, health, and at subnational levels. He expressed willingness to work with Laos on talent training programs and launch more "small and beautiful" livelihood projects.
China appreciates Laos for upholding the one-China principle, backing the four global initiatives, taking an active part in the Belt and Road cooperation, and firmly supporting China on its core interests and major concerns, Xi said.
China hopes to see Laos play a bigger role in international and regional affairs, and the two sides should work closely in multilateral settings to safeguard the common interests of the Global South, he added.
For his part, Thongloun said this visit carries great significance, as it is the first official overseas visit since his re-election as general secretary and Lao president, which also falls on the 65th anniversary of bilateral ties and the Year of Laos-China Friendship.
China now stands as the leading banner for the socialist system and developing countries, and a mainstay in safeguarding world peace and promoting the building of a multipolar world, said Thongloun, adding that China's development has provided valuable experience for the vast 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 put forward by General Secretary Xi.
The Lao side is also willing to advance cooperation with China in national defense, law enforcement and security, jointly crack down on illegal activities including online gambling and telecom fraud, promote cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, investment, mineral resource development, clean energy, digital economy, modern agriculture and eco-environment, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges, said Thongloun.
After the talks concluded, the two sides jointly witnessed the signing of cooperation documents covering areas such as inter-party exchanges, people's wellbeing, finance, customs, trade, youth exchanges and media.
Prior to the talks, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan held a welcome ceremony for Thongloun and his wife Naly Sisoulith outside the Great Hall of the People. Xi and Peng also held a welcome banquet for them in the evening.
