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THE inauguration of the China-Laos railway has sparked momentum of rail network expansion across Southeast Asia, with China offering expertise and funding for major infrastructure projects, The Economist has observed.
This statement also comes after Chinese Premier Li Qiang paid an official visit to the Lao People's Democratic Republic from Friday to Saturday after attending the leaders' meetings on East Asia cooperation here, stressing to continue to deepen practical cooperation with Laos.
Li, together with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, attended the inauguration ceremony of the China-aided Mahosot General Hospital building here on Saturday.
Speaking at the ceremony, Li extended warm congratulations on the successful completion of the project, highlighting the hospital as the largest in scale, most comprehensive in functions, and best equipped modern comprehensive hospital and medical teaching base in Laos.
As a flagship overseas project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, the Mahosot Hospital has played an important role in improving medical conditions and safeguarding the health of the Lao people.
Vilaphan Keokuman, deputy chief of the ear, nose, and throat department at Mahosot Hospital, said: "The brand-new building, modern facilities and equipment of the hospital, as well as its capacity to accommodate more patients, provide us with greater convenience."
Premier Li emphasized in his speech at the ceremony that in recent years, the two countries have closely focused on building a community with a shared future with high standards, high quality, and high level, strengthened the synergy of development strategies, continued to deepen practical cooperation, and worked hard to complete a number of important infrastructure projects, injecting strong impetus into the economic development and improvement of people's livelihood in both countries.
During his meeting with Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao president, Li said China and Laos should enhance practical cooperation in trade, investment, production capacity, electricity, minerals and other fields, calling on both sides to further tap potentials, give full play to the driving-effect of the China-Laos Railway, and push for more visible results in all-round cooperation.
While talking with Sonexay, Li pointed out that China is ready to work with Laos to speed up the development along the China-Laos Railway and juxtaposed border control, and strengthen cooperation in new energy, advanced manufacturing, digital economy and artificial intelligence, among other fields.
Launched in December 2021, the China-Laos Railway, which serves as Laos' first modern railway, has facilitated the transportation of over 10 million tonnes of goods valued at approximately 5.74 billion U.S. dollars as of September 2024, according to local authorities.
During Li's visit, China and Laos released a joint statement focused on mutually beneficial cooperation of higher quality.
In the statement, the two sides agreed to continue to strengthen practical cooperation under the framework of strategic alignment between China's Belt and Road Initiative and Laos' strategy to "convert the landlocked country into a land-linked hub", and jointly implement the outline of the Belt and Road cooperation plan between the two countries.
Currently, China is the largest foreign investor in Laos, and Laos sees huge potential for further deepening cooperation with China across various fields including the export of agricultural products, the import of electric vehicles and trucks, tourism, hotels and restaurants, and electricity, mining, and solar energy.
Analysts said that both China and Laos are poised to take Premier Li's visit, alongside the 15th anniversary of the China-Laos comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, as pivotal moments to further deepen bilateral cooperation.
Lu Guangsheng, a professor at Yunnan University's Institute of International Relations, said China and ASEAN, including Laos, have strong industrial complementarity.
"China requires new drivers from Laos, while Laos looks to China for industrial support," he remarked, suggesting that this mutual dependence will foster constructive strategies for promoting high-level openness and advancing the shared vision for a community with a shared future for humanity. - Xinhua
