On April 25, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, exchanged congratulations with Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and Lao president, on the 65th anniversary of China-Laos diplomatic relations.
Xi said that as socialist neighbours in a community with a shared future, China and Laos are united by shared ideals and beliefs, identical social systems and similar development paths and that their “comradely and brotherly” bond, personally forged by the older generation of leaders of both parties and countries, has grown ever stronger over time.
The Chinese leader voiced willingness to work with Thongloun to take the 65th anniversary of China-Laos diplomatic relations and the Year of China-Laos Friendship as an opportunity to enhance strategic mutual trust, carry forward the traditional friendship, and push for more outcomes in practical cooperation across various fields, so as to deliver more benefits to the two peoples.
For his part, Thongloun said that over the 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the friendly ties between the two parties, the two countries and the two peoples — marked by solidarity in times of difficulty — have been lifted to higher levels, with fruitful outcomes in building the Laos-China community with a shared future. He expressed gratitude for the long-standing valuable support and assistance provided by the CPC, the Chinese government and people.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone also exchanged congratulations on the same day.
A guest column contributed to the Xinhua News Agency by Liu Ting noted:
“Sharing weal and woe for the past 65 years, China and Laos enjoy a friendship that is rooted in the geographical proximity connected by mountains and rivers, tempered by the joint struggle for independence and liberation, and enriched by mutual support in their respective socialist causes.”
He added that: “The 2024-2028 action plan on building a China-Laos community with a shared future signed in October 2023 has drawn up a clear blueprint for all-round cooperation. Connectivity paves the way for win-win cooperation, and the China-Laos Railway stands as a landmark of friendship. As a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, the railway has continued to unleash the efficiency of a ‘golden corridor’ since its opening.”
He further drew attention to the key role played by people-to-people ties, especially among young people, as well as to the important role played by diplomatic coordination:
“Tens of thousands of Lao students study in China, and interactions between youth, media, local governments and cultural tourism sectors of the two countries are frequent. From ‘sitting in the same classroom’ to ‘watching the same performance,’ from skills training to cultural exchange and mutual learning, the two peoples have drawn closer and the foundation of friendship has been strengthened… As developing countries, China and Laos have always practiced true multilateralism, coordinated closely within frameworks such as the United Nations, China-ASEAN and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, jointly opposed hegemonism, bullying and bloc confrontation, and firmly safeguarded international fairness and justice and the common interests of developing countries.”
Liu Ting is a professor at the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences and the Chinese (Kunming) Academy of South and Southeast Asia Studies.
Meanwhile, on April 30, Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, attended a reception in Beijing marking the 65th anniversary of China-Laos diplomatic relations and the Year of China-Laos Friendship.
Li, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said the building of the China-Laos community with a shared future has been continuously deepened and solidified under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two parties and the two countries.
Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane, who was visiting China for the occasion, said Laos is ready to join hands with China to achieve new results in building the community with a shared future between the two countries.
The same day, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi also met with Thongsavanh Phomvihane.
Wang Yi welcomed Thongsavanh Phomvihane’s special trip to Beijing to attend the reception celebrating the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Laos, stating that China and Laos are comrades and brothers, and the two countries enjoy a profound traditional friendship and maintain close interactions at all levels and across all fields. China congratulates the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party on the successful convening of its 12th National Congress, which ushers in a new stage for the Party and the country’s endeavours.
Thongsavanh Phomvihane stated that Laos and China are like-minded partners and friends. The Lao party and government attach great importance to developing relations with China and appreciate China’s long-term support and assistance to Laos’ socioeconomic development.
The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Xi exchanges congratulations with top Lao leader Thongloun on 65th anniversary of ties
BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) — Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, exchanged congratulations on Saturday with Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao president, on the 65th anniversary of China-Laos diplomatic relations.
Xi said that as socialist neighbors in a community with a shared future, China and Laos are united by shared ideals and beliefs, identical social systems and similar development paths and that their “comradely and brotherly” bond, personally forged by the older generation of leaders of both parties and countries, has grown ever stronger over time.
At present, the two sides are accelerating efforts to build a high-standard, high-quality, and high-level China-Laos community with a shared future. Exchanges at all levels have become closer, and cooperation across various fields continues to deepen. On issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns, the two sides firmly support one another, injecting valuable stability and certainty into the region and the world, he said.
The CPC and the Chinese government have always viewed China-Laos ties from a strategic and long-term perspective and regard Laos as a priority in China’s neighborhood diplomacy, he said.
Xi voiced willingness to work with Thongloun to take the 65th anniversary of China-Laos diplomatic relations and the Year of China-Laos Friendship as an opportunity to enhance strategic mutual trust, carry forward the traditional friendship, and push for more outcomes in practical cooperation across various fields, so as to deliver more benefits to the two peoples.
For his part, Thongloun said that over the 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the friendly ties between the two parties, the two countries and the two peoples — marked by solidarity in times of difficulty — have been lifted to higher levels, with fruitful outcomes in building the Laos-China community with a shared future.
He expressed gratitude for the long-standing valuable support and assistance provided by the CPC, the Chinese government and people.
Thongloun said that Laos will remain committed to the one-China principle, support China in safeguarding its core interests, and work with China to follow through on the new five-year action plan for the Laos-China community with a shared future, so as to yield new achievements in the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.
Also on Saturday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone exchanged congratulations.
Li said that both sides should follow the strategic consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and countries, guide ministries and localities to strengthen coordination and cooperation, expand areas of collaboration, foster new drivers of growth, and deliver more tangible outcomes in the China-Laos comprehensive strategic cooperation.
Sonexay said that over the past 65 years, the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperation between Laos and China have continued to deepen.
He added that Laos stands ready to work with China to follow through on the strategic consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and countries, ensure the success of events marking the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the Year of China-Laos Friendship, and deliver more tangible benefits to the two peoples.
China-Laos ties at 65 continue to move forward
April 25 (Xinhua) – by Liu Ting
The year 2026 marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Laos as well as the Year of China-Laos Friendship.
Sharing weal and woe for the past 65 years, China and Laos enjoy a friendship that is rooted in the geographical proximity connected by mountains and rivers, tempered by the joint struggle for independence and liberation, and enriched by mutual support in their respective socialist causes.
Since the establishment of diplomatic ties on April 25, 1961, the two sides have always adhered to the principle of long-term stability, good-neighborliness, mutual trust and all-round cooperation, and firmly supported each other on issues involving each other’s core interests and major concerns, setting an example of equal treatment and mutual assistance between countries.
In the new era, the construction of a China-Laos community with a shared future has been deepened. The 2024-2028 action plan on building a China-Laos community with a shared future signed in October 2023 has drawn up a clear blueprint for all-round cooperation.
Connectivity paves the way for win-win cooperation, and the China-Laos Railway stands as a landmark of friendship. As a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, the railway has continued to unleash the efficiency of a “golden corridor” since its opening.
By the end of March 2026, the cumulative passenger trips of the entire line had exceeded 70 million, and the cargo transportation volume had surpassed 80 million tons, including over 18 million tons of cross-border cargo. The average daily number of cross-border trains has increased from 2 at the initial stage to a peak of 23, truly transforming Laos from a “land-locked country” to a “land-linked country” and injecting strong impetus into the stability and smooth flow of regional industrial and supply chains.
Economic and trade cooperation yields fruitful results for mutual benefit, and practical cooperation benefits the people of both countries. China has maintained its status as Laos’ largest source of foreign investment and major export market for many consecutive years.
In 2025, the bilateral trade volume reached 9.817 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of 19.3 percent; China’s cumulative investment in Laos exceeded 18 billion dollars, covering infrastructure, energy, agriculture, digital economy and other fields. More than 80 percent of Laos’ agricultural exports are sold to China, and specialty products such as rubber, durian and high-quality rice reach the Chinese market directly via the railway, with tangible benefits to people’s livelihoods.
Platforms such as the Mohan-Boten Economic Cooperation Zone and the Saysettha Development Zone have been upgraded; cross-border industrial cooperation, customs clearance facilitation and single-window cooperation have been continuously deepened; and the zero-tariff arrangement for 100 percent of Lao products exported to China has been implemented effectively. The achievements of cooperation are visible and tangible.
People-to-people exchanges consolidate the foundation of public support, and the legacy of friendship is passed down from generation to generation. Since the launch of the Year of China-Laos Friendship, a series of down-to-earth and well-received activities have been held one after another, including the release of the theme logo for the 65th anniversary of China-Laos diplomatic ties, the “Happy Spring Festival” temple fair in Vientiane, China-Laos youth exchange groups visiting Yunnan, Spring Festival galas celebrating friendship, the “Brightness Action” medical public welfare program, and the joint research and development of the Lao national large language model.
Tens of thousands of Lao students study in China, and interactions between youth, media, local governments and cultural tourism sectors of the two countries are frequent. From “sitting in the same classroom” to “watching the same performance,” from skills training to cultural exchange and mutual learning, the two peoples have drawn closer and the foundation of friendship has been strengthened.
Through strategic coordination, the two sides jointly uphold multilateralism and safeguard regional peace and prosperity. As developing countries, China and Laos have always practiced true multilateralism, coordinated closely within frameworks such as the United Nations, China-ASEAN and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, jointly opposed hegemonism, bullying and bloc confrontation, and firmly safeguarded international fairness and justice and the common interests of developing countries.
At present, China-Laos relations are at their best in history. As the two countries mark the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the Year of China-Laos Friendship, they will continue to move forward under high-level strategic guidance, deepen connectivity, expand economic and trade cooperation, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges.
Editor’s note: Liu Ting is a professor at Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences & Chinese (Kunming) Academy of South and Southeast Asia Studies, and also serves as director of its International Collaboration Center. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Xinhua News Agency.
Senior Chinese legislator attends reception marking 65th anniversary of China-Laos diplomatic relations
BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) — Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, attended on Thursday a reception marking the 65th anniversary of China-Laos diplomatic relations and the Year of China-Laos Friendship.
Li, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the building of the China-Laos community with a shared future has been continuously deepened and solidified under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two parties and the two countries.
China is willing to enhance strategic communication, promote mutually beneficial cooperation and deepen people-to-people friendship with Laos, Li added.
Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane said Laos is ready to join hands with China to achieve new results in building the community with a shared future between the two countries.
Wang Yi Meets with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane
April 30 (MFA) – On April 30, 2026, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane in Beijing.
Wang Yi welcomed Thongsavanh Phomvihane’s special trip to Beijing to attend the reception celebrating the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Laos, stating that China and Laos are comrades and brothers, and the two countries enjoy a profound traditional friendship and maintain close interactions at all levels and across all fields. China congratulates the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party on the successful convening of its 12th National Congress, which ushers in a new stage for the Party and the country’s endeavors. China stands ready to strengthen strategic communication and enhance political mutual trust, and advance bilateral cooperation with the Lao side in areas such as the construction of the China-Laos Railway, mineral resources, the economy and trade, and human resources development. The two sides should deepen collaboration under multilateral frameworks including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, jointly implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, continuously elevate the building of a China-Laos community with a strategic shared future to higher standards, better quality, and a higher level, better promote Laos’ independent development, and contribute to peace and development in the region and the world at large.
Thongsavanh Phomvihane stated that Laos and China are like-minded partners and friends. The Lao party and government attach great importance to developing relations with China and appreciate China’s long-term support and assistance to Laos’ socioeconomic development. Laos firmly abides by the one-China principle, and looks forward to taking the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the Year of Laos-China Friendship as an opportunity to further deepen mutual trust, promote practical cooperation, and strengthen multilateral coordination. Both sides should implement the action plan for building a Laos-China community with a shared future and strive for further achievements in building the Laos-China community with a shared future.
