Chiang Mai, August 16, 2024, The Europe Today: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith on Thursday to discuss strengthening bilateral relations, cooperation on regional issues, and the situation in Myanmar.
During the meeting, Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, highlighted the deep-rooted friendship between China and Laos, emphasizing their mutual support and cooperation. “China and Laos treat each other with sincerity and have always been supporting and helping each other,” Wang said.
Wang noted that under the strategic guidance of the top leaders of both nations, the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future has accelerated. He pointed to the increasing bilateral trade, the successful expansion of the China-Laos railway’s capacity, the intensification of personnel exchanges, and closer coordination in international and regional affairs as key achievements in their relationship.
China, Wang assured, firmly supports Laos in exploring a development path tailored to its national conditions. He also expressed China’s strong backing for Laos in its preparations for the 12th Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and in its role as the chair of ASEAN, aiming to enhance Laos’ influence on the international and regional stages.
Looking ahead, Wang expressed China’s willingness to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with Laos across various fields, particularly in maximizing the comprehensive benefits of the China-Laos railway. He emphasized the importance of jointly addressing development bottlenecks and accelerating integrated development along the railway route to serve the development and revitalization of both nations.
Saleumxay Kommasith, for his part, lauded the rapid development of cooperation between Laos and China, noting its significant role in Laos’ socio-economic progress. He reiterated Laos’ commitment to implementing the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries, enhancing high-level exchanges, deepening cooperation in connectivity and mineral resources, combating transnational crime, and advancing the Laos-China community with a shared future.
The two foreign ministers also exchanged views on the situation in Myanmar. Wang Yi acknowledged Myanmar’s importance within ASEAN and expressed China’s support for ASEAN’s efforts to engage with Myanmar. He suggested exploring the alignment of ASEAN’s five-point consensus with Myanmar’s new five-point roadmap, aiming to help Myanmar maintain domestic stability, achieve political reconciliation, and resume its democratic transition—a move beneficial for both ASEAN’s unity and regional peace and stability.
Saleumxay praised China’s constructive role in promoting peace talks in northern Myanmar and supporting political reconciliation. He emphasized Laos’ readiness to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China to support Myanmar’s stability and development.
Both ministers agreed on the importance of ensuring the success of the upcoming ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Chiang Mai. They emphasized the need to strengthen the awareness of a community with a shared future, enhance practical cooperation in all fields, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for the Lancang-Mekong countries, contributing to regional prosperity and stability.
