Laos

On December 16, local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Lao Foreign Minister Sharon Sai in Vientiane.

    Wang Yi said that China and Laos are important close neighbors and friendly neighbors, and the current bilateral relations have entered the best period. We are willing to work with Laos to take the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries next year as an opportunity to implement the major decision made by the top leaders of the two countries to jointly build a community of strategic significance for China and Laos in order to promote China and Laos. The economic corridor cooperation plan, especially the acceleration of the construction of the China-Laos railway, will be used as a platform for next year’s China-Laos tourism year to comprehensively promote strategic communication between the two sides, deepen practical cooperation, intensify personnel exchanges, and promote the continuous development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries .

    Wang Yi pointed out that the two sides should strengthen strategic communication and prepare for the meeting between the two heads of state and exchanges at all levels. The China-Laos Economic Corridor is a comprehensive manifestation of the results of the “Belt and Road” initiative and Laos’ strategy of “turning a land-locked country into a land-linked country”. Both parties must step up and refine the corridor cooperation plan to achieve an early implementation. The China-Laos Railway is the leading project of the Economic Corridor, and the two sides should continue to cooperate closely and actively promote it in accordance with high-quality standards. The two sides should jointly organize the 2019 China-Laos Tourism Year and encourage more tourists to travel to each other's countries. The two sides should also strengthen youth exchanges, cultivate more non-governmental friendly forces, and consolidate the social foundation of China-Laos relations.

    Sharonsai expressed that he fully agrees with Wang Yi's positive comments on the relations between the two parties and the two countries of Laos and China. At present, the two parties and the two countries have close high-level exchanges. The top leaders of the two countries have made the decision to build a Laos-China community with a shared future on the basis of the "Four Goods." Laos is willing to work closely with China to plan and implement the consensus of leaders and build the Laos-China Economic Corridor, especially the Laos-China Railway. This will not only benefit Laos’ economic and social development, but will also play a positive demonstration effect on the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” initiative. . Lao supports strengthening non-governmental exchanges between the two sides, expanding two-way tourism, and consolidating the non-governmental foundation for Laos-China cooperation.

    After the talks, Wang Yi and Sharonsai attended the signing ceremony of bilateral cooperation documents.