Yesterday, Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council held talks with Lao Prime Minister Thongsing in Sanya, Hainan Province. This photo shows Premier Li Keqiang hosting a welcome ceremony for Thongsing's visit to China before the talks. Photo by Liu Zhen, China News Service

 

　　On the afternoon of the 8th, Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council held talks with Lao Prime Minister Thongsing in Sanya, Hainan Province. The two sides reached new consensus on advancing the China-Laos comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

 

　　Missing Flight Incident

 

　　China Works Closely with All Parties

 

　　Thongsing expressed condolences to the relatives of the Chinese passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight. Li Keqiang thanked Thongsing for his message of condolence after the incident and stressed that over the past month China has been working with the international community to carry out an all-out search and will continue to maintain close contact and cooperation with relevant parties on this matter.

 

　　China-Laos Cooperation

 

　　China-Laos Railway Cooperation Is the Priority

 

　　Li Keqiang said that both China and Laos are currently in a critical period of deepening reform. China is comprehensively deepening reform and opening up in accordance with the arrangements of the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee and will continue to take effective measures to stabilize growth, adjust the structure, and improve people's livelihood. Laos is also accelerating economic and livelihood development and vigorously advancing its cause of reform and opening up, which, he believes, will bring new opportunities for the development of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two sides.

 

　　Li Keqiang said that the China-Laos railway is the priority of the current major project cooperation between the two countries. China is willing to launch negotiations with Laos on an intergovernmental railway cooperation agreement and strive to sign it as soon as possible so as to lay a solid foundation for further cooperation.

 

　　Thongsing said that in recent years, Laos-China relations have continued to develop, bringing tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries. Laos thanks China for its selfless help and support. Laos is currently committed to advancing the cause of reform and opening up and is willing to seize the opportunities brought by China's development, further strengthen exchanges of governance experience with China, comprehensively deepen cooperation in various fields, focus on advancing the Laos-China railway cooperation project to achieve substantive results at an early date, and jointly promote regional peace, stability, and development.