On 20 February local time, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President Bounnhang Vorachit met with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Vientiane.

Bounnhang Vorachit asked Wang Yi to convey his warm greetings to General Secretary and President Xi Jinping. He said his thought is with China as it makes the all-out efforts to combat the epidemic. Over the past 70 years, China has overcome numerous difficulties and scored remarkable achievements, which gives China every confidence to prevail over whatever adversities it may encounter. Moreover, China enjoys robust economic strength built over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up. He believed that under the strong leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping, the Chinese people will soon defeat the epidemic. He also expressed the confidence that after the epidemic, China will continue to maintain its fast growth and deliver ever better life for its people. He wished the Special China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting every success and believed that the meetings will further enhance the mutual trust and cooperation between ASEAN and China.

Bounnhang Vorachit said that the LPRP and the Lao government highly cherish the friendship with China and sincerely appreciate the valuable assistance to Laos' economic and social development provided by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese government over the years. The Laos-China railway and other major cooperation projects are well underway, bringing tangible benefits to the Lao people. The LPRP and the Lao government stay firmly committed to the one-China policy and will strengthen, with every sincerity, exchanges and cooperation with China in various fields. Laos will work with China to build a Laos-China community with a shared future.

Wang Yi conveyed the cordial greetings from General Secretary and President Xi Jinping to Bounnhang Vorachit. He briefed on the robust measures China has taken to fight the epidemic and the latest progress in the endeavor. Wang pointed out that under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core and by leveraging the enormous strengths of the socialist system and rich experience in handling public health emergencies, China can and will win a full and speedy victory over the epidemic.

Wang said that after the outbreak of the epidemic, the LPRP, the Lao government and people immediately extended a helping hand to China, and Comrade General Secretary personally called on the whole Party and the people of Laos to stand with the Chinese people to tide over this difficult time. We are deeply moved. This is a one more vivid illustration for the unbreakable bond between China and Laos, a bond as close as that between lips and teeth, and it epitomizes a China-Laos community with a shared future. Wang expressed China's heartfelt thanks to the Party, government and people of Laos. He stressed that as China grows and develops by overcoming various difficulties and obstacles, it will never succumb to any difficulty and will prevail over every challenge coming its way. We believe that emerging from the epidemic, the Chinese people will become even more resilient and united; the Chinese economy will achieve even more robust and sustainable growth; and the leadership of the Communist Party of China will have even stronger support of all Chinese people. We can and will complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, eradicate absolute poverty, and deliver the first centenary goal.

Wang noted that with China-Laos friendship and mutual trust further deepened in this joint fight against the epidemic, our mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields will keep moving forward. China will continue to work with Laos to advance the building of the China-Laos Railway and the China-Laos Economic Corridor, help Laos build its capacity for independent development, speed up its industrialization process, and enable the Lao people to benefit from the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future.