On 11 August 2024, Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) called on the visiting Vice President Khambay Damlath of the Lao National Assembly in Changzhi of Shanxi Province.
Shi Zhongjun thanked Vice President Khambay for gracing the ASEAN-China Week (ACW) 2024 and said that, as an intergovernmental organization co-established by 10 ASEAN Member States (AMS) and China, the ACC has long been playing a bridging role in promoting practical cooperation in various fields between both sides. With the support of the Lao side, the ACC successfully held the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Connecting ASEAN Events in Vientiane and Luang Prabang in November last year, where high-ranking officials from ASEAN and China had in-depth exchange of views on advancing high-quality infrastructure and revitalizing the digital economy. The ACC fully supports Laos in fulfilling the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN and facilitate the quality synergy between the Belt and Road cooperation and ASEAN development strategies, thus building a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful, and amicable homeland. China and Laos are good neighbors, good friends, good comrades and good partners. The ACC stands ready to render support and assistance to Laos on its economic revitalization and social progress, so as to bring forth benefits to the Lao people.
Vice President Khambay congratulated the ACC on the opening of ACW2024 events, which stands for another grand program celebrating the 2024 ASEAN-China Year of People-to-people Exchanges. Khambay stressed that, Laos and China enjoy a longstanding history of friendship. The leaders of both countries and the two Parties have been maintaining close exchanges, charting the course for the development of Laos-China comprehensive strategic partnership and the building of the Laos-China community with a shared future. Thanks to the help from China, the Laos’ economy and people's livelihoods are enjoying a momentum of sound growth. The Lao side appreciates China’s support to its ASEAN chairmanship this year and will continue to make every effort to promote ASEAN community building and enhancing cooperation on ASEAN connectivity and resilience. The Lao side will be consistently supporting the ACC in its future endeavors, pushing forward the steady and sound development of Lao-China and ASEAN-China relations, thus benefiting the peoples of both countries and in the region.