China and Laos vowed on Tuesday to make concerted efforts to further cooperation and push forward bilateral all-round friendly and cooperative relations to "a new level".

 

During talks between Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Laotian counterpart Choummaly Sayasone, the two sides both spoke highly of relations between the two countries and the two ruling parties.

 

"The traditional friendship between China and Laos has progressed well and the two sides have done a lot of work to substantially promote the ties in the new century", Hu said.

 

Hu acknowledged that the two sides have maintained high-level exchanges and made remarkable achievement in cooperation in various fields and at various levels.

 

"The two sides have established good coordination on international and regional issues and the relations between the two countries and two parties demonstrate a strong momentum of growth," Hu highlighted.

 

Choummaly extended his congratulations on the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), expressing his hope that the Chinese people, under the CPC leadership, will make great achievements in the construction of a harmonious socialist society.

 

Laos and China share traditional friendship and in the past 30 years since the establishment of Laos, the country has always received selfless support and help from the Chinese people and the CPC, which is deeply appreciated by the Laotian side, Choummaly said.

 

The Lao People's Revolutionary Party (PRP) and the Laotian government will always regard the Chinese government and the CPC as a reliable friend and comrade with shared ideals, Choummaly said.

 

Hu said that the CPC and the Chinese government attach great importance to the ties with Laos and are willing to make joint efforts with Laos to maintain high-level exchanges, promote bilateral exchange and cooperation in the various fields such as national defense, public security, crackdown on drug trafficking, education and tourism.

 

China will further the bilateral economic and trade cooperation with Laos especially in fields of agriculture, mining industry and infrastructure construction, Hu said.

 

"We support the border provinces of the two countries to forge cooperation in various forms, encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in Laos and welcome Laotian businessmen to expand economic and trade relations with China," Hu said.

 

The Chinese president also pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation under multilateral frameworks including the United Nations, China-ASEAN, East Asia Summit and the Development of the Great Mekong Sub-region.

 

Agreeing with Hu's proposals on the development of bilateral relations, Choummaly expressed his willingness to foster the tradition of maintaining high-level exchanges with China and cement friendly cooperation in human resources, trade, tourism and public security.

 

Laos will consolidate the bilateral coordination and cooperation in the regional and international affairs and achieve more progress in the bilateral relations in the new era, Choummaly added.

 

The two presidents also briefed each other on the domestic situations of the two countries. Hu said that China supports Lao's development on the path of socialism and the country's reform and opening up process.

 

"We support efforts made by Laos to develop its national economy and we believe the Laotian government and its people, under the leadership of the LPRP (Lao People's Revolutionary Party), will make great achievements in their national construction", Hu said.

 

Choummaly said that China has made remarkable achievements in their national construction under the CPC's leadership, highlighting that Chinese economy has maintained rapid growth, the living standard of the Chinese people continually raised and China's influence over regional and international issues further strengthened, which showcases the wise decisions made by the CPC leadership and advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

 

All these factors are of huge encouragement to the Laotian people and Laos will learn from these experiences of China, Choummaly stressed.

 

The two sides also exchanged views extensively on the international and regional issues and reached comprehensive common understanding.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2006)