Friendship thrives amid enduring cultural ties

Once again, I have witnessed the cultural links between China and Laos during my trip this week to the Southeast Asian country that Premier Li Keqiang has called "a good neighbor".

Li visited the Lieu-Tou Chinese School in Vientiane on Friday, after attending ASEAN-related summits and the East Asia Summit, and making an official visit to the landlocked country.

The school, established in 1937 by the local Chinese community, is one of the best in the Laotian capital and is well known for its teaching of the Chinese language. Most of the students are Laotians, some with Chinese blood. Others are from China, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and even the United States.