Li Qiang Attends East Asia Cooperation and Visit to Laos

On the afternoon of October 9, 2024 local time, at the invitation of Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone of Laos, the current ASEAN chair, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council left Beijing by chartered plane for Vientiane to attend the leaders' meetings on East Asia cooperation and pay an official visit to Laos.

On the evening of October 9 local time, Li Qiang arrived at Vientiane's Wattay International Airport by chartered plane. Lao Minister of Planning and Investment and Chairman of the Laos-China Cooperation Committee Phet Phomphiphak and Chinese Ambassador to Laos Fang Hong, among others, greeted Li.

Li Qiang said that since the beginning of this year, Laos, as the rotating chair of ASEAN, has actively played a leading role, focusing on practical cooperation, building consensus among all parties, and pushing for new progress and new achievements in the building of ASEAN Community and East Asia cooperation. China firmly supports the building of the ASEAN Community, as well as ASEAN's central position in regional cooperation and its greater role in international affairs. China is ready to have in-depth exchanges of views with all parties on major regional cooperation issues and jointly promote the region to continue being an important engine for global development.

Li Qiang pointed out that in recent years, under the strategic guidance of General Secretary and Chinese President Xi Jinping and General Secretary and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith, China and Laos have continued to deepen and consolidate their comprehensive strategic cooperation, and bilateral relations have entered a new era of building a community with a shared future. At present, China is further deepening reform comprehensively and working toward the Second Centenary Goal of building itself into a great modern socialist country in all respects, while Laos is embarking on a new journey featuring reforms and opening-up to further advance its socialist cause. China is ready to work with Laos to further synergize their development strategies, strengthen solidarity and coordination, and push for more substantive progress in building a China-Laos community with a shared future, so as to better benefit the two peoples.

Source:Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China