Former Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad (L) at the BRI’s 10th anniversary celebrated in Vientiane

(KPL) The Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China (RDCY) in cooperation with the Institute for Industry and Commerce (IIC), Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Laos held an event to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Vientiane on July 5.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad, Commercial Counselor of the Embassy of China in Laos Zhao Wenyu, Deputy Director General of IIC Viengsavang Thipphavong, Executive Dean of RDCY Wang Wen, experts from the two countries attended the event.

The event provided the participants with the opportunity to highlight the achievements made by Laos and China in jointly implementing the Belt and Road Initiative. The meeting also witnessed a presentation of the findings of a study on Green Development of China and ASEAN under the Belt and Road Initiative: A Case Study of China-Laos Railway, designed to further deepen Laos-China cooperation, promote the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and the building of a Laos-China community of a shared future, as well as enhance mutual trust and common prosperity between China and ASEAN countries.

“The Belt and Road Initiative or the building of a Community of a Shared Future for Mankind are an idea of a responsible leader as we know that human beings always wish to be prosperous, to live in peace so we build the Community of a Shared Future for Mankind. This is the goal of President Xi Jinping to ensure countries around the world enjoy development so that we can live a prosperous life,” said Former Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad.

More than 150 countries around the world have participated in implementing the Belt and Road Initiative. 

“The Belt and Road Initiative" proposed by President Xi Jinping has brought benefits to the Lao PDR in many areas. And the most noticeable one is that Laos-China relations are comprehensive and of higher quality. Economic cooperation has grown rapidly based on the principle of mutual benefits, for example the construction of the Laos-China railway, and other projects,” said Mr. Somsavat Lengsavad.

“As for the Belt and Road Initiative, Laos is the first country in ASEAN to have successfully built a railway and this China-Laos railway project has become a good example of the cooperation between China and ASEAN,” said Mr. Zhao Wenyu.

KPL