This year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the People's Republic of China. The two sides have designated 2026 as the "Laos-China Friendship Year" and have jointly organized a wide range of meaningful activities to commemorate this historic occasion.
Over the past six and a half decades, our bilateral relations have withstood the tests of global transformations and uncertainties. Regardless of how the international landscape has evolved, the Laos-China friendship has remained steadfast, resilient, and ever stronger, demonstrating the ideological values, and the remarkably stable and vibrant strategic cooperation that characterize the Laos-China relations.
Guided by the spirit of the "Four Goods", namely good neighbors, good friends, good comrades, and good partners, our two countries elevated relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in 2009.
This important milestone laid a solid political foundation conducive to expanding cooperation across all fields. In 2017, our two Parties and states further enhanced cooperation and established the Laos-China Community with a Shared Future, opening a new chapter of deeper solidarity, greater mutual trust and closer strategic coordination.
Today, the Laos-China relationship stands at its highest point in history, serving as a model of equality, mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation. High level political trust and shared ideals have continuously delivered tangible benefits to the peoples of both nations.
In the field of economic cooperation, China has become the largest investor and the second-largest trading partner of the Lao PDR. Key sectors of shared potential include energy, mining, agriculture and infrastructure development.
Most notably, the Laos-China Railway stands as a landmark symbol of this successful cooperation and a flagship project of the high-quality Belt and Road Initiative. This project has become a "golden corridor" connecting the two countries and the wider region, transforming the Lao PDR from a landlocked to a land-linked country, bringing transformative changes and new development opportunities to the Lao PDR.
China remains an important development partner, providing financial assistance to the Lao PDR.
In particular, the Party, government and people of China have extended generous support through the "Eight Major Projects for Laos" announced by President Xi Jinping in 2017, which have made significant contributions to the development of healthcare, human resources and the improvement of the living standards for the Lao people.
At the regional and international levels, in the current uncertain global situation, it is increasingly important for developing countries to stand united, uphold multilateralism, and build a more just, fair, and equitable global order.
Laos and China share a common commitment to promoting development and ensuring that the benefits of globalization are more equitably shared.
The Lao PDR fully supports China's global initiatives, such as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative.
Within the ASEAN framework, Laos and China have closely supported each other through the implementation of the Plan of Action to Implement the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2026-30), covering the three pillars of the ASEAN Community and ASEAN Connectivity. The Lao PDR highly values the 5th anniversary of the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2021-26), which will be jointly commemorated, and expresses its deep appreciation to the People's Republic of China for its steadfast support during Laos' three ASEAN Chairmanships.
In addition, in 2027, the Lao PDR stands ready to assume the role of the ASEAN-China Coordinating Country for the period 2027-2030 to further advance the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and continuously deepen the Laos-China bilateral relations.
Within the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) Framework, Laos and China, together with other countries in the river basin, have jointly created a new era in transforming the Lancang-Mekong River into a river of peace, friendship and sustainable development, becoming an efficient and effective cooperation mechanism capable of translating shared visions into tangible and lasting results for the peoples of the region.
The Lao PDR reaffirms its unwavering commitment to closely cooperate with the People's Republic of China, in supporting efforts to coordinate comprehensive joint development strategies, advance mutual development, deepen reform, and broaden international cooperation, and jointly pursue the path of socialist development in accordance with the respective national conditions.
We will further strengthen the traditional friendship, the stable and long-term comprehensive strategic partnership guided by the "Four Goods" spirit, and advance the building of a Laos-China community with a shared future toward higher standards, higher quality and higher levels, to truly bring greater civilization and prosperity to the people of our two nations.
The author is general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and president of the Lao PDR.
