Vice-Chairman of China's Central Military Commission Xu Caihou met in Beijing on Thursday with Sengnouane Sayalat, chief of General Political Department of Lao People's Army.

Xu said China and Laos are friendly neighbors and there have been remarkable achievements in bilateral cooperation in various fields.

China is willing to maintain high-level exchanges of visits and strengthen cooperation with Laos in all fields so as to push forward the development of ties between the two countries and two militaries, Xu said.

Sengnouane said to develop relations between Laos and China conforms to the fundamental interests of the Lao and Chinese peoples and Laos will work with China in consolidating and developing cooperation between the countries and two armed forces.

This is Sengnouane's fifth visit to China. Besides Beijing, he will also visit Shanghai and Kunming.

(Xinhua News Agency August 24, 2007)