BEIJING, Nov 30(ABC): Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, held talks Wednesday with Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and Lao president.
They stressed the need to uphold the principle of “long-term stability, good-neighborly friendship, mutual trust and all-round cooperation” and the spirit of “good neighbors, friends, comrades and partners” in developing bilateral ties.
The two countries will respect and trust each other politically, benefit each other economically, deepen mutual understanding and amity in the people-to-people exchanges, constantly deepen the building of a community with a shared future for China and Laos, and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, according to the leaders.
At the beginning of the talks, Xi said that Comrade Jiang Zemin passed away on Wednesday in Shanghai due to illness after all medical treatments had failed.
Xi said Comrade Jiang was an outstanding leader enjoying high prestige acknowledged by the whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, statesman, military strategist and diplomat, a long-tested communist fighter, and an outstanding leader of the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. He was the core of the CPC’s third generation of central collective leadership and the principal founder of the Theory of Three Represents.
“We profoundly mourn Comrade Jiang and will turn grief into strength to work in a concerted effort to build a modern socialist country in all aspects and advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in an all-round way in accordance with the plan of the 20th CPC National Congress,” Xi said.
Thongloun expressed deep condolences over the death of Comrade Jiang, saying that it is a huge loss for the CPC and the Chinese people, and the LPRP and the Lao people feel the same way.
Thongloun said that Comrade Jiang was a close friend of the LPRP and the Lao people. During his visit to Laos in 2000, Jiang proposed the principle of “long-term stability, good-neighborly friendship, mutual trust and all-round cooperation,” which has played a guiding role in the development of bilateral relations.
Thongloun said the Lao Party, government and people will work with the Chinese counterparts to continuously push forward the China-Laos friendship.
Xi said he is ready to work with General Secretary Thongloun to advance the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future, hailing the fruitful results since the signing of an action plan on this goal in April 2019.
The China-Laos railway has contributed to the well-being of the two peoples and set a good example for joint Belt and Road construction, Xi said.
Under the new circumstances, the two sides should keep bilateral relations in the right direction and enhance law-enforcement and defense cooperation, Xi said, adding that the two countries need to deepen synergy of development strategies and enhance partnership in science and technology, education, culture and other areas.