Noting that the China-Laos relationship is now at its historical best, Xi also pointed to the combined impact of profound changes unseen in a century in the world and the global COVID-19 pandemic.

"I noticed that President Biden has repeatedly stressed the term 'unity' in his inaugural address, which is precisely what's needed in current China-U.S. relations," Hua said.

“Pursuing protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room. While wind and rain may be kept outside, that dark room will also block light and air.”

With a strong rebound in the fourth quarter, China ended 2020 with a full-year expansion of 2.3 percent, becoming the only major economy to achieve positive growth in the pandemic-ravaged year.

Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech Ltd. is ramping up the production of CoronaVac, an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, to ensure global supply.

Located in the southwestern part of China's Yunnan province, the city of Tengchong is a stop along an economic and trade route that links China with the world.

Chinese A-share assets are likely to continue outperforming most overseas equities in 2021, thanks to the country's robust economic recovery and the inflow of capital from foreign investors and domestic residents, experts said on Thursday.