Stronger China-Laos ties on the horizon

Editor's Note: The General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith is on a state visit to China from Tuesday to Saturday. Two experts share their views with China Daily's reporter Li Huixian on the building of the China-Laos community with a shared future.

China-Laos cooperation reflects mutual commitment

China-Laos relations have remained stable in recent years, underpinned by consistent political trust and strong economic ties.

The two countries were among the first to sign an agreement to build a community with a shared future. Today, China is the largest investor in Laos and its biggest export market.

As Laos emerges from the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, its economy has gradually started recovering, strengthening its demand for closer economic cooperation with China.

Since the Middle East crisis broke out, Southeast Asia has faced growing challenges, including food and energy security, inflationary pressure and weakening growth drivers. Against this backdrop, many Southeast Asian leaders have visited China to strengthen regional and bilateral cooperation.

Visits by Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Vietnamese President To Lam are notable examples. Mechanisms such as "2+2" or "3+3" dialogues have emerged to facilitate these efforts. In this context, the visit of Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith is expected to further enhance bilateral cooperation between China and Laos.

China has two major railway projects in Southeast Asia: the China-Laos Railway and the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia.

The Jakarta-Bandung line benefits Indonesia's economy but does not directly connect with China. The China-Laos Railway, on the other hand, links China not only with Laos but also with the entire Indochina Peninsula, facilitating the flow of goods among China, Laos and other Southeast Asian nations.

This connection has boosted trade and logistics between China and countries such as Thailand and Malaysia.

As a landlocked country, Laos has benefited immensely from the China-Laos Railway, a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative. The railway not only serves as an economic engine, but has also had a spillover effect on key sectors.

In April, the Asian Development Bank noted that tourism will be a key driver of Laos' economic development.

The China-Laos Railway has played a crucial role in revitalizing tourism and boosting the Lao economy. Supporting services, infrastructure, and logistics have provided strong backing for the tourism industry, underscoring the benefits of China-Laos cooperation.

China has also assisted Laos in building hydropower stations, with dozens of plants either under construction or completed. Initially, Chinese companies primarily served as contractors.

Now, their involvement spans the entire process, including design, construction and operation. These efforts encompass social and cultural exchanges, employee training, and the provision of medical and educational services to local communities.

On April 21, the China-Laos 500-kV power interconnection project officially commenced operation. The project, another major achievement in deepening practical cooperation and advancing the Belt and Road Initiative following the China-Laos railway, is a key project under the action plan for the China-Laos community with a shared future.

China and Laos have set an example of successful cooperation in promoting the vision of "five homes" with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations: a peaceful home, a safe and secure home, a prosperous home, a beautiful home, and an amicable home.

The cooperation between China and Laos is evident not only in their bilateral community with a shared future but also as a key component of the China-ASEAN community, the Lancang-Mekong cooperation, and the broader initiative to build a community with a shared future for China and its neighboring countries. These multiple frameworks highlight that the cooperation between China and Laos reflects a mutual commitment.

Zhang Jie is a research fellow at the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

People-to-people exchanges bearing fruitful results

The visit of Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith coincides with the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Laos and marks the Year of China-Laos Friendship.

As a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Laos Railway has transformed Laos from a landlocked nation into a land-linked hub.

Laos has been a major recipient of Chinese government scholarships for many years. The Confucius Institute at the National University of Laos launched the world's first undergraduate program for training Chinese-language teachers.

Meanwhile, the Confucius Institute at Souphanouvong University is advancing a dual-track education model that combines the Chinese language with vocational skills, having trained several thousands of Chinese-speaking professionals, 80 percent of whom have joined railway-related enterprises.

Since 2018, the Shanghai Institute of Technology has collaborated with Laos on a skills-plus-language training model. Consequently, China-Laos educational cooperation has become more precisely aligned with the increasing demand for both passenger and freight transport along the flagship railway.

President Thongloun's visit is expected to expand and solidify the "Chinese plus" model of vocational education, particularly in areas such as rail transit and logistics management.

China's poverty reduction experience has been effectively implemented in Laos, taking root in local villages.

Demonstration projects based on China's targeted poverty alleviation model, such as those in Ban Xor, Tha Dok Kham in Vientiane, and Tingsong in Luang Prabang, have improved infrastructure by building roads, providing water supply, and enhancing agriculture.

Mutual learning between civilizations is fostered through heritage conservation and the emotional impact of films and TV shows, making these exchanges more tangible.

Youth and media exchanges are key highlights. For many years, friendship exchange programs have enabled hundreds of young Lao nationals to visit China, returning with firsthand stories.

Meanwhile, the China-Laos health partnership continues to grow stronger. The first phase of the China-aided Mahosot General Hospital, the largest and most modern medical facility in Laos, is now operational.

These "small yet impactful" projects directly enhance people's livelihoods, strengthening the fraternal bond of "comrades and brothers" between China and Laos.

This visit is expected to solidify the foundation of these people-to-people connections and further deepen the development of the China-Laos community with a shared future.

Zhang Lei is an associate professor at the Institute of International Relations at Yunnan University.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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