Wang Yi Meets with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith

On July 3, 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith on the sidelines of the seventh Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bagan, Myanmar.

Wang Yi said that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the building of the China-Laos community with a shared future has continued to take a new step. Bilateral trade has increased against the headwind and the China-Laos Railway is running efficiently, injecting new momentum for the Belt and Road cooperation and regional linkage, and making new contributions to regional development and prosperity. Faced with the current complicated international situation, China and Laos, as socialist comrades and brothers, should further strengthen strategic communication, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, meet challenges together, and safeguard international fairness and justice, so as to promote the building of the China-Laos community of a shared future for greater development.

Saleumxay said that the current momentum of the Laos-China relations remains strong, especially the completion and successful operation of the China-Laos Railway as scheduled, which fully demonstrates the important value and great achievements of the Belt and Road cooperation. The Railway will not only help Laos change from a land-locked country to a land-linked country, bring benefits to the Lao people, but also inject impetus into regional cooperation, of which the Lao side is proud. The Lao government and people deeply feel the great importance China attaches to the relations between the two countries, sincerely thank China for its selfless assistance, look forward to the tomorrow of the Laos-China community with a shared future, and hope to work with the Chinese side to closely develop strategic synergy to promote a series of new cooperation plans for both sides to be implemented better and faster.

The two sides believe that it is necessary to give full play to the radiation effect of the China-Laos Railway, and actively explore the organic connection of logistics, value and industrial chains along the route so as to realize high-level connectivity and promote third-party cooperation.

The two sides believe that they should jointly resist the Cold War mentality and zero-sum game, and oppose certain countries' reckless pursuit of double standards that interfere with and undermine interactions and cooperation among countries. Wang Yi stressed that China is willing to work with other countries to adhere to pursuing real security that is common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable, and not to fake security which is exclusive and confrontational; adhere to promoting the real development that is balanced, coordinated, win-win and benefited for all, and not to fake development with the detriment of others for self-interest, lip service rather than real action; adhere to upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and the real order underpinned by international law, and not to the fake order that contains other countries with highhandedness, bullying and unilaterally-defined rules.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues of common concern.

After the meeting, the two sides jointly attended the document exchange ceremony on bilateral cooperation in customs, education agriculture and others.