From strategic trust to shared development: China-Laos ties enter a new stage

Editor's Note: Xu Liping is a research fellow at the National Institute of International Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies. The article reflects the author's views and not necessarily those of CGTN.

From June 2 to 6, General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith paid a state visit to China. During the visit, the two sides reached important consensus on elevating the high-standard, high-quality and high-level China-Laos community with a shared future to an all-weather China-Laos community with a shared future in the new era. The new positioning marks a new stage in bilateral relations characterized by stronger political mutual trust, more resilient security cooperation, higher-quality mutually beneficial cooperation, more frequent people-to-people exchanges and closer strategic coordination.

A broader horizon for bilateral cooperation

The elevation of bilateral ties to an all-weather community with a shared future in the new era reflects the determination of both countries to support each other regardless of changes in the international landscape. It also opens up broader space for cooperation. As China implements its 15th Five-Year Plan and Laos advances its own development agenda, the two countries are expected to further align development strategies and promote modernization in a coordinated manner.

Political trust as the cornerstone

Head-of-state diplomacy and inter-party exchanges remain the ballast of China-Laos relations. As fellow socialist countries, China and Laos share common interests in safeguarding political security, state security and system security. Through reciprocal visits, virtual meetings, exchanges of letters and meetings on multilateral occasions, the leaders of the two countries have maintained close strategic communication and provided long-term guidance for bilateral ties. Inter-party exchanges have also played a unique role in strengthening mutual trust and providing sustained momentum for the development of bilateral relations.

Building more resilient security cooperation

The newly established "3+3" strategic dialogue on diplomacy, defense and public security represents one of the most important outcomes of the latest leaders' meeting. The mechanism will help the two countries better coordinate development and security and expand cooperation in both traditional and non-traditional security areas. The two sides will also strengthen law-enforcement cooperation and continue joint operations against online gambling, telecom fraud, drug trafficking and human trafficking, with the aim of maintaining stability and order along their shared border.

Advancing high-quality development through connectivity and innovation

The China-Laos Railway remains the flagship project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. By May 2026, the railway had handled more than 73 million passenger trips, operated over 100,000 train services and facilitated more than 840,000 cross-border passenger journeys. By April 2026, the value of imports and exports transported through the railway had exceeded 80 billion yuan (about $11 billion), serving more than 6,000 enterprises.

The railway has also created more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs in Laos and helped train thousands of local technical personnel. As Thongloun once noted, the railway has made mountains lower and distances shorter, and he hopes it will become a "golden road" and a "silver road."

At the same time, cooperation in new quality productive forces is emerging as a new growth driver. Through platforms such as the China-ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Application Cooperation Center, the China-ASEAN Digital Academy and other innovation mechanisms, the two countries are expanding practical cooperation in digital technology, artificial intelligence and e-commerce.

Strengthening people-to-people ties

Taking the Year of China-Laos Friendship as an opportunity, the two countries are enhancing cooperation in culture, youth exchanges and healthcare to strengthen public support for bilateral relations. Cultural exchanges, including the translation and publication of classic works and cooperation in media, film and publishing, help deepen mutual understanding between the two peoples. Youth exchanges in higher education, vocational training, language education and artificial intelligence are creating new opportunities for future generations.

Healthcare cooperation has also become an important area of engagement, including cataract treatment programs, medical assistance initiatives and other "small but beautiful" projects that deliver tangible benefits to local communities.

Closer strategic coordination on regional and global affairs

China and Laos will also strengthen strategic coordination within the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism, ASEAN-centered regional frameworks, the Asia-Pacific region and the United Nations.

The two sides support the successful convening of the fifth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting and the building of an "LMC 2.0" characterized by unity and cooperation, openness and win-win outcomes, green innovation, mutual learning among civilizations, and peace and tranquility.

They also support the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), deeper maritime practical cooperation and the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), with the aim of turning the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.

At the regional and global levels, the two countries support open regionalism, uphold multilateralism, advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and work together to promote a more just and equitable global governance system.

In conclusion, the new positioning of the all-weather China-Laos community with a shared future in the new era has provided fresh impetus for bilateral cooperation and will serve as a positive example for advancing the building of communities with a shared future at the regional and global levels.