China, Laos pledge closer ties
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China and Laos on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to advancing their strategic cooperative partnership.
"Presidents of both countries reached a new consensus on orientation of bilateral relations, which charted a path for the future," senior Chinese official He Guoqiang told a visiting delegation of Lao's ruling People's Revolutionary Party(LPRP).
The new consensus referred to the establishment of comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation by Chinese President Hu Jintao and Laotian counterpart Choummaly Saygnasone in September when Choummaly visited China.
He, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said both countries pursued a socialist route for development and shared ideals and goals of development.
China and Laos share a border of more than 500 kilometers.
In recent years, China and Laos conducted frequent high-level exchanges and carried out fruitful cooperation on building the party and the state, said He, who is also secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
He proposed departments of both countries implement the leaders' consensus and agreements in an effort to benefit both nations.
He briefed the Laotian guests about China's efforts to deal with the global economic crisis.
Citing statistics of the past three quarters, He said China's economy has rebounded month by month and shown a strong momentum of stabilization and recovery.
He also briefed the Laotian guests about the Fourth Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee which took place in September.
Thongsing Thammavong, member of the Central Political Bureau of the LPRP, said his party would like to study and learn from China's experience in reinforcing party building and economic development.
Thongsing said the LPRP would deepen exchanges with the CPC and advance the Laos-China comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation.
With joint efforts, Laos-China traditional friendship would last forever, Thongsing said.
Thongsing and his delegation arrived in Beijing last Wednesday for a week-long visit.
