Xi Jinping Holds Talks with General Secretary of the LPRP Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith

On November 30, 2022, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President Xi Jinping held talks with General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith at the Great Hall of the People. The two sides stressed the need to uphold the principle of "long-term stability, good-neighborly friendship, mutual trust and all-round cooperation" and the spirit of "good neighbors, good friends, good comrades and good partners", respect and trust each other politically, benefit each other economically, foster mutual understanding and affinity through people-to-people and cultural exchanges, constantly advance the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future, and make positive efforts and contribute to the building of a human community with a shared future.

At the beginning of the talks, Xi Jinping said that Comrade Jiang Zemin passed away on Wednesday in Shanghai due to illness after all medical treatments had failed. Comrade Jiang Zemin was an outstanding leader enjoying high prestige acknowledged by the whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, statesman, military strategist and diplomat, a long-tested communist fighter, an outstanding leader of the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the core of the CPC's third generation of central collective leadership, and the principal founder of the Theory of Three Represents. Xi Jinping said that Chinese people profoundly mourn Comrade Jiang Zemin and will turn grief into strength to strive in solidarity to build a modern socialist country in all respects and advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts in accordance with the plan of the 20th CPC National Congress.

Thongloun expressed deep condolences over the passing of Comrade Jiang, saying that this is a huge loss for the CPC and the Chinese people, and that the LPRP and the Lao people feel the sorrow in the same way. When Comrade Jiang Zemin was the main leader of the CPC and China, he led the Chinese people in scoring important development achievements and made important contributions to the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Comrade Jiang Zemin was a close friend of the LPRP and the Lao people. During his visit to Laos in 2000, Jiang Zemin proposed the principle of "long-term stability, good-neighborly friendship, mutual trust and all-round cooperation", which has played a guiding role in the development of Laos-China relations. The Lao Party, government and people will work with the Chinese comrades to continuously push forward the Laos-China friendship.

Xi Jinping said that since last year he has maintained close communication with General Secretary Thongloun in various ways, and reached many important common understandings on the development of China-Laos relations and the building of a community with a shared future. He expressed readiness to work with General Secretary Thongloun to steadily deepen and substantiate the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future, so as to deliver more benefits to the two peoples and promote peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region.

Xi Jinping briefed Thongloun on the 20th CPC National Congress. He said that the 20th CPC National Congress has elaborated on major concepts such as a new frontier in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, put forward the missions and tasks of the CPC on the new journey of the new era, and stressed the need to build a modern socialist country in all respects and advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts. Having gone through the course of a century of endeavor, the CPC embarked on a new journey to realize new goals. The CPC has the confidence and capability to make new and greater achievements and realize all the goals and tasks set at the 20th CPC National Congress.

Xi Jinping said that since the 11th LPRP National Congress, faced with the complicated and volatile international and domestic situations, the LPRP Central Committee has focused its efforts on improving itself, pursued a socialist path in line with the country's own characteristics, striven to maintain political and social stability and sustained economic development. At the same time, it has contributed to maintaining regional peace and stability and safeguarding the common interests of developing countries. Xi Jinping expressed confidence that under the strong leadership of the LPRP Central Committee led by General Secretary Thongloun, the Lao people will surely realize all the goals and tasks put forward at the 11th LPRP National Congress. The CPC is ready to work with the LPRP to enhance solidarity, cooperation, exchanges and mutual learning, adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, strengthen confidence in following the socialist path, and jointly explore a new path for the modernization of humanity.

Xi Jinping stressed that China and Laos share the same mountains and waters and have been friendly neighbors since ancient times. Since the signing of the Action Plan for Building a China-Laos Community with a Shared Future in April 2019, China and Laos have made joint efforts and worked for fruitful results in the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future. In particular, the two sides have built the China-Laos Railway into a road of development, a road of happiness and a road of friendship, which has not only brought huge benefits to the two peoples, but also set a fine example for Belt and Road cooperation and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Under the new circumstances, the two sides need to firmly keep bilateral relations in the right direction, and ensure that the China-Laos community with a shared future is built without losing direction or speed; constantly consolidate the foundation for security, jointly uphold political security, and advance law-enforcement and defense cooperation; deepen convergence of interests and synergy of development strategies, and promote connectivity and coordinated development in the region; and deepen economic, trade and investment exchanges. China will encourage more Chinese companies to invest in Laos and welcome more quality products from Laos to enter the Chinese market. China will continue to provide assistance for Laos to alleviate its current difficulties, and expand exchanges and cooperation in science and technology, education, culture, tourism, health, youth and other fields to enhance people-to-people bonds. China is ready to deepen coordination and cooperation with Laos within the frameworks of Lancang-Mekong cooperation and China-ASEAN cooperation, champion the common values of humanity, and jointly safeguard peace, stability, development and prosperity in the world.

Thongloun said that the 20th CPC National Congress is a major event in the new era for China and will have a major impact on world development. At a time when the world is undergoing complex changes, China is a pillar of safeguarding world peace and stability, and is committed to promoting the common development for humanity and building a human community with a shared future. He expressed confidence that under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China will fully implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and all the goals and tasks set at the congress, and realize the Second Centenary Goal on schedule.

Thongloun thanked China for its long-term valuable support and help for Lao economic and social development. He said that the traditional friendship between Laos and China has grown stronger as time goes by and political mutual trust has been constantly deepened. In particular, since the signing of the Action Plan for a Laos-China Community with a Shared Future in 2019, the two sides have earnestly implemented the plan, continuously expanded and deepened cooperation in various fields, and made smooth progress in important projects with Chinese aid in Laos, especially the completion of the Laos-China Railway, which has played an important role in boosting Laos' economic development. He expressed hope that the two parties and relevant departments and institutions of the two countries will strengthen mutual exchanges and exchanges on state governance, consolidate and deepen security and national defense cooperation between the two countries, enhance practical cooperation in economy, trade and investment, materialize connectivity between China's Belt and Road Initiative and the strategy of Laos to transform itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked one, strengthen mutual understanding and people-to-people exchanges between the two peoples, and promote greater development of Laos-China relations.

After the talks, Xi Jinping and Thongloun jointly witnessed the signing of cooperation documents between both sides covering the political parties, economy and trade, finance, culture and education, sub-national exchanges, and other fields.

Wang Yi and He Lifeng, among others, were present at the events.