From April 9 to 12, at the invitation of the Laos-China Friendship Association (LCFA), Yang Wanming, President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), led a delegation to Laos. During the meeting, President Yang met with Sinlavong Khoutphaythoune, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President of the Central Committee of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC), and Anouphab Tounalom, Secretary of the LPRP Central Committee, Secretary of the LPRP Vientiane Municipal Committee and President of the Vientiane People's Council. President Yang reminisced with old friends of the Chinese people—Sommad Pholsena, Member of the LPRP Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the Lao National Assembly; Khemmani Pholsena, Minister of the Lao Presidential Office; Sommano Pholsena; and other representatives of the Pholsena family. He also held working talks with Phet Phomphiphak, Lao Minister of Planning and Investment and President of the Laos-China Friendship Association (LCFA); Sinava Souphanouvong, Minister to the Lao Prime Minister's Office; Saysana Sitthiphone, Lao Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment; Bounthueng Douangsavanh, Lao Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce; Kikeo Chanthaboury, Vice President of the Lao Academy of Economic and Social Sciences; Songpeo Maupaseut, former Lao Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism; and other leaders of the LCFA. Together with Siriphone Souphanthong, Vice Governor of Luang Prabang, Yang attended and addressed the China-Laos Seminar on Poverty Alleviation and Common Development, jointly organized by the CPAFFC, the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Luang Prabang, the LCFA, and the Luang Prabang Provincial Government. Extensively engaging with friendly personages from various sectors in Laos, President Yang conveyed the guiding principles of China's Central Conference on Work Related to Neighboring Countries and shared the Chinese theory on fighting poverty as well as the country's experience in poverty eradication. In-depth exchanges were held with all parties on China-Laos relations, people-to-people friendship, practical cooperation and youth exchanges, yielding positive consensus.
During the meeting, Yang Wanming said that as socialist comrades and brothers, China and Laos enjoy a friendship that becomes increasingly solid with the passage of time. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, the all-round cooperation between the two sides has achieved fruitful outcomes, and the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future has been deepened and consolidated. All these efforts have brought tangible benefits to the people of the two countries and set a vivid example for building a community with a shared future for mankind. In October last year, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping met with General Secretary of the LPRP Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, charting the course and providing fundamental guidance for deepening the building of the China-Laos community with a shared future. A few days ago, the Central Conference on Work Related to Neighboring Countries was successfully held in China. It once again made it clear that China will continue to uphold the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy, carry out friendly cooperation with neighboring countries, enhance understanding and mutual trust, and achieve common development and rejuvenation.
Yang Wanming noted that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the LPRP and the 50th anniversary of the founding of Laos, and next year will usher in the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Laos. At present, the two sides are actively implementing the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and two countries and the new version of the action plan for building a China-Laos community with a shared future, and working toward more outcomes in cooperation in such areas as connectivity, economy, trade and investment, and cultural exchanges. The CPAFFC is willing to work closely with the LCFA and other friendly organizations and all sectors in the two countries to give play to the unique role of people-to-people diplomacy, enrich the China-Laos people-to-people friendship, build more bridges of people-to-people exchanges, practical cooperation, cultural exchanges and youth friendship, and further deepen and substantiate the building of the China-Laos community with a shared future.
(Meeting with Sinlavong Khoutphaythoune)
Sinlavong Khoutphaythoune spoke highly of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), thanked the CPC, the Chinese government and the Chinese people for their support and assistance to Laos, and highly appreciated the positive role played by the CPAFFC in deepening Laos-China friendship and advancing bilateral relations. He said that Laos and China have achieved fruitful results in the fields of economy, trade and investment, connectivity, cultural exchanges and subnational cooperation, benefiting both Laos and its people. He believed that the Laos-China relations are at their best in history. Laos will never waver in upholding socialism and will deepen exchanges with China across the board under the strategic guidance of the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, so as to boost new progress in the building of the Laos-China community with a shared future.
(Meeting with Anouphab Tounalom)
According to Anouphab Tounalom, currently, Laos-China relations are operating at a high level, and subnational cooperation holds great potential. Vientiane is willing to actively participate in mechanisms such as the RCEP Local Governments and Friendship Cities Cooperation (Huangshan) Forum and the Forum on Lancang-Mekong Local Government Cooperation hosted by the CPAFFC, and exchange activities among cities along the China-Laos Railway. This aims to further deepen practical cooperation between local governments of the two countries in areas such as connectivity, urban governance, and cultural exchanges at both bilateral and multilateral levels. Phet Phomphiphak expressed continued commitment to advancing the implementation of projects under bilateral and multilateral mechanisms between the two associations. Taking the 65th anniversary of the establishment of Laos-China diplomatic relations next year as an opportunity, he pledged to explore new ways of organizing celebrations and join hands to deepen the friendship between the peoples of Laos and China.
(Catching up with the representatives of the Pholsena family)
Friends of the Pholsena family fondly recalled the friendship with the older generation of Chinese leaders, especially Premier Zhou Enlai. Sommano Pholsena excitedly recounted his past with President Xi Jinping. Sommad Pholsena and Khemmani Pholsena spoke highly of the important contributions made by the CPAFFC in making friends for the country and carrying forward the friendship between Laos and China. They also thanked the CPAFFC for inviting their family representatives to major events held in China many times. Furthermore, they expressed that they would stay true to their original aspirations and nurture the younger generations of the family in carrying forward the traditional friendship between Laos and China, living up to the profound affection and goodwill shown by the leaders of the CPC and the Chinese government, as well as the Chinese people, toward their family.
(Meeting with Siriphone Souphanthong)
During the visit, the delegation also took the Lane Xang electric multiple unit (EMU) train for the China-Laos railway and conducted field research on China-Laos cooperation projects such as the China-Laos Railway Operation and Management Center and the Mahosot General Hospital.
Wang Chang, Chargé d'Affaires a.i. of the Chinese Embassy in Laos and Zhang Hequn, Acting Consul General of the Chinese Consulate-General in Luang Prabang, attended the relevant activities.
