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

On July 10, 2023, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi met with Member of the Political Bureau of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos Saleumxay Kommasith in Beijing.

Wang Yi thanked Saleumxay for his active support and participation in the First High-Level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development, saying that with the joint efforts of both sides, the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future has made solid progress. As a good neighbor, good friend, good comrade and good partner, China is ready to work with Laos to add new dimensions to the China-Laos community with a shared future and continuously strive for new outcomes in political mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Laos.

Noting that this year marks the 20th anniversary of China's accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia as the first among major countries, Wang Yi said China-ASEAN relations embrace new development opportunities. The two sides should take this opportunity to jointly take the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level. The two sides should also speed up negotiations on an upgraded China-ASEAN Free Trade Area to inject new impetus into the building of a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home for China and ASEAN.

Saleumxay said that the Global Development Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping is of great significance and is just in time, which will benefit the vast number of developing countries. Laos highly appreciates and firmly supports it. Laos is committed to building a solid, durable and stable comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China and will jointly promote the building of a Laos-China community with a shared future. China is an important strategic partner of ASEAN and Laos will play an active role in contributing to the advancement of ASEAN-China cooperation.