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China and Laos Sign Joint Statement
A co-operation framework fashioned by China and Laos is set to gear collaboration of the two neighbouring countries into full swing and in an all-round manner.
A joint statement signed by Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen and his Laotian counterpart Somsavat Lengsavad Sunday night promised to maintain the high-level close contacts and expand party, governmental and parliamentary exchanges and co-operation, so as to deepen the traditional good-neighbourly relations between the two countries.
The document is one of the results of Chinese President Jiang Zemin's first visit to Laos over the weekend.
Since bilateral ties were normalized in 1989, China and Laos have seen comprehensive restoration and expansion of friendly co-operations in political, economic, trade, military and cultural areas, noted the framework statement.
The two sides agreed to improve laws and regulations to leverage economic and trade activities of each other's businesses, as well as exploring new channels to bolster the two-way trade.
Bilateral trade volume topped US$28 million during the first nine months of the year, chalking up 23.9 per cent from the same period last year. China's export volume reached US$23.9 million during the period, up 52.8 per cent, while imports stood at US$4.88 million, down by 35.7 per cent, indicated the latest customs statistics.
The statement vowed to adopt effective measures to expand border trade, and continue to encourage and back the two-way investment activities of each other's enterprises, meanwhile amplifying co-operation in labour and project contracting.
Under the joint statement, China agreed to include Laos in its list of destinations where Chinese citizens are encouraged to visit.
The public security and judicial departments of the two sides will also join efforts in combating smuggling, drug trafficking and other trans-national crimes.
Both Laos and China pledged to root for the tetragonal economic co-operation between China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, and expand the Mekong River sub-regional economic co-operation (namely between the above four countries plus Viet Nam).
The Laotian Government reiterated its "one China" stance in the joint statement.
Apart from the bilateral co-operation statement, China and Laos also signed a flurry of other documents, including agreements on economic and technological collaboration and building a hospital in Louangphrabang in Laos, and a memorandum on agricultural co-operation.
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