Wang: China and Laos should further boost ties

China and Laos should further enhance strategic coordination and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation so as to promote the building of a community with a shared future between the two countries to make greater progress, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday.

Wang made the remarks when meeting with Lao Vice-Premier and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith on the sidelines of the seventh Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Myanmar.

Noting that the bilateral trade has risen against the trend and the China-Laos Railway was running efficiently, Wang said all of these have made new contribution to regional development and prosperity.

Saleumxay said Laos-China relationship enjoys strong momentum. He particularly mentioned the Laos-China Railway, saying it has fully demonstrated the great value and achievement of the Belt and Road Initiative.

It has also helped Laos to transform from a land-locked country to a land-linked one and bring real benefits to the Lao people, he added.

Saleumxay said his country holds high expectations for the future of the Laos-China community with a shared future.

Laos hopes to make strategic alignment of development plans with China and speed up the implementation of a series of new bilateral cooperative agreements, he noted.

The two sides agreed to give full play to the radiation effect of the China-Laos Railway, explore connection among the logistics chain, value chain and production chain along the railway, so as to achieve high quality connectivity and push for a third-party cooperation.

The two sides agreed to jointly resist the Cold War mentality and zero-sum game, oppose double standard wantonly pursued by some countries, and reject interference in and sabotage of exchanges and cooperation among countries.

Wang said China was ready to work with all countries to pursue the true security which is common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable, and seek the true development which is balanced, coordinated, beneficial and win-win.

The purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and the true order which is based on international law should be firmly safeguarded, Wang added.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues of mutual concern. After the talks, the two sides witnessed the exchange of documents on bilateral cooperation in fields such as customs, education and agriculture.