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.