China, Laos vow to steer clear of disruptions, oppose camp confrontation

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday met with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod. 

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, hailed the pragmatic cooperation between the two countries and called the China-Laos Railway a benchmark and symbol of the building of a China-Laos community of a shared future.

The China-Laos Railway has injected a new impetus for the high-quality construction of the Belt and Road and the interconnected development in the region, he said.

In the face of the complex international situation and domestic development tasks, Wang pointed out that China and Laos, as friendly neighbors sharing the same destiny, should unite and collaborate to address the challenges together.

He called on the two sides to steer clear of external disruption, oppose acts provoking camp confrontation and effectively safeguard the overall situation of peace and stability in the region.

China firmly supports Laos in carrying out its duty as the rotating president of ASEAN, Wang said, urging efforts to jointly build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

Noting that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, Wang said China is ready to work with countries in the region, including Laos, to continue to carry forward the glorious tradition of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, keep pace with the times and move toward a better future.

Saleumxay Kommasith said the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the Lao government and its people attach great importance to relations with China.

Noting that cooperation between the two countries has been developing rapidly, Saleumxay Kommasith said the second action plan on building a China-Laos community with a shared future has laid a more solid foundation for future cooperation.

In the face of the current complex international and regional situation, unprecedented importance should be given to the cooperation between Laos and China, he added.

The Lao side appreciates the constructive and leading role played by China in international and regional affairs, and as this year's Chair of ASEAN, it will do its utmost to promote ASEAN-China cooperation and ensure the correct direction of East Asian cooperation, Saleumxay Kommasith said.