Chinese premier calls for promoting comprehensive strategic partnership with Laos

VIENTIANE -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday called for promoting comprehensive strategic partnership with Laos by maintaining close high-level contact, strengthening dialogue and coordination and promoting practical cooperation in various fields.

Li made the remarks while meeting with his Laotian counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith after the East Asia leaders' meetings in the Laotian capital of Vientiane.

This year marks the 55th anniversary of bilateral relations. Li said that China and Laos enjoy a high degree of political mutual trust, comprehensive economic cooperation and extensive people-to-people exchanges, which benefit people from two sides and helps maintain regional peace, stability and development.

The Chinese premier said that China is willing to align its 13th Five-Year Plan with Laos' 8th Five-Year Plan to promote production capacity and investment cooperation and ensure the launch of the flagship project of a high-speed railway before the end of this year.

The construction of an economic cooperation zone at the Mohan-Boten border crossing point and a comprehensive development zone in Vientiane should proceed, Li said, adding that large projects should play a leading role in trade cooperation and regional inter-connectivity.

The border areas of the crossing point connect Mohan in southwest China's Yunnan Province with Boten in Laos.

China is willing to share experience with Laos in fields such as drawing development blueprints, tourism development and agricultural disaster prevention, Li said.

He also pointed out that the two countries should strengthen customs and quality control so as to increase convenience of port customs clearance, improve people-to-people exchanges in cultural, media and educational fields, and promote cooperation in defense and law enforcement in order to maintain regional security and stability.

China is willing to keep close coordination with Laos on international and regional issues, firmly support each other, strengthen close cooperation under multilateral frameworks such as East Asia cooperation and the Lancang-Mekong River Cooperation, so as to bring benefit to people of the two countries and the region, Li said.

For his part, Thongloun said that Li's visit is significant as the two countries are celebrating the 55th anniversary of the bilateral ties and Li's attendance at the East Asia leaders' meetings shows great encouragement and support for Laos' rotating presidency.

Congratulating China on the successful hosting of the G20 Hangzhou Summit, Thongloun said that the two countries have made great achievements in political, economic, trade and investment cooperation.

On people-to-people exchanges, the Laotian prime minister noted that more than 1 million Chinese tourists have visited Laos. Meanwhile, bilateral cooperation in defense, law enforcement and regional cooperation has been making steady progress, he said.

By participating in Laos' infrastructure construction and helping with personnel training, China has made great contribution to Laos' economic and social development, Thongloun said, adding that Laos will accelerate railway cooperation and continue to create sound conditions for bilateral investment and cooperation.

After the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of 20 cooperation documents in such fields as trade, investment, economy, technology and education.