Vientiane Times
Story Filed: Wednesday, April 25, 2001 2:35 AM EST
VIENTIANE, Apr 25, 2001 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Laos and China should further
promote their all-round cooperative relations by strengthening economic and
trade cooperation, maintaining momentum of frequent exchanges of visits by
top leaders and enhancing mutual support and cooperation in regional and
international affairs, newly-elected Lao Prime Minister Boungnang Vorachit
said here recently.
Speaking to a group of Chinese journalists in an interview, Boungnang said
ever since the two countries established diplomatic relations on April 25,
1961, Lao-Chinese friendship has been developing smoothly.
The two countries have made great achievements in the field of foreign
affairs, he said, citing documents signed by the both sides, which include
border treaty, mutual visa exemption agreement, economic, technological and
cultural cooperation agreements and, most important of all, the joint
statement on bilateral cooperation.
Last year the heads of state of the two countries, Lao President Khamtay
Siphandone and Chinese President Jiang Zemin, paid state visits to each
other's countries.
During Jiang's visit to Laos in November, the two governments signed a joint
statement on bilateral cooperation, which defined the development
orientation of relationship.
"Laos believes that the two visits were great events bearing historical
significance in the history of Lao-Chinese relationship, and have laid a
solid foundation for the further development of the all-round cooperative
relations in the current time and in the future," Boungnang said.
Elected as Lao prime minister at the seventh general meeting of the National
Assembly last month, Boungnang said his government will continue
implementing the domestic and foreign policies formulated by the Lao
People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and contributing to the cause of
defending and constructing their motherland.
The government will also continue promoting cooperation between Laos and
China in all fields, Boungnang said.
At the seventh party congress held in March, Laos set a series of goals in
economic and social development, pledging to reduce the number of people
living under the poverty line by a million by 2005 from the current rate of
2.03 million and triple per capita income to between 1,200 U.S. dollars to
1,500 dollars a year by 2020.
"To achieve these goals, we need cooperation, assistance and support from
all friendly countries around the world, and the cooperation between Laos
and China is an important factor for fulfilling these tasks," said the prime
minister.
Laos has always taken China as a strategic friend sharing common ideal of
socialism, Boungnang said, adding that the two countries have always support
and help each other on a mutually beneficial basis.
Visiting China for the first time in 1989, Boungnang is a frequenter of the
country. Last year he led a delegation of senior Lao officials to attend a
seminar at the Party School of the Communist Party of China's Central
Committee in Beijing and visited several provinces in northern and southern
China.
"All the cities I visited were developing very fast, which should be
attributed to the reform and opening-up policies," said he, noting that a
strong socialist China is a solid support for Laos.
In a separate interview, Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister
Somsavat Lengsavad thanked the Chinese government and Chinese people for the
assistance they provided to the Lao government and Lao people.
"Up to now China has invested about 100 million dollars in Laos, and
assistance projects in the field of economy, culture and infrastructure have
been increasing," he said.
"Based on the good tradition, I believe the friendly and cooperative
relations between Laos and China will be further developed in the new
century," said the foreign minister, who paid an official visit to China
earlier this month to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of
Lao-Chinese diplomatic relations.
by Yuan LI
Copyright 2001 XINHUA NEWS AGENCY
****
Sino-Lao commerce spotlight
Phonekeo Vorakhoun
Trade ties between Laos and China have been soaring to new heights in recent
years under the exciting and realistic principles of equality and mutual
profit. On the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of diplomacy between Laos
and China, April 20, Chinese Ambassador Liu Zheng Xiu held a press
conference to review the Lao-Chinese cooperation.
�Economic cooperation is at the heart of Lao-Chinese relations. There is so
much potential to expand co-operation in this field. Our experiences in this
area have been marked by great successes and a sense of permanence
surrounding the future of Lao-Chinese trade. As always we hold to principles
such as equality and the mutual character of the profit-making process,�
said the Chinese Ambassador.
After establishing diplomatic relations in 1961, the two countries have
pooled their resources and achieved a smooth centred co-operative approach
to just about everything. The two countries recently promoted business ties
with each other by reducing export tax by 50 per cent.
According to Chinese Checkpoint statistics, the total trade value of the two
countries in 1989 was only US $7.1 million. In 1995 it increased to US $54.4
million. Last year the trade value of the two countries was about US $ 40.8
million. The number of Chinese investors in Laos has also increased. In
addition the Chinese government has given loans without interest to Laos and
assistance to Lao government to the total value of about 500 million yen to
be used in development projects in Laos.
�We will strive to put the fortunate geographic and political situations in
the two countries to good use in order to expand the fruitful co-operation
we are currently experiencing. There are many many areas in which Laos and
China do so well together. These include human resource exchanges,
information exchanges, national defense ties, foreign affairs, agriculture
and forestry, science and technology, the health sector, and cultural
exchanges. We will promote the role of the joint committee on trade and will
endeavour to widen our border trade. China realises the awesome potential of
Laos and will make a special effort to invest in projects in Laos. Our
current concern is the construction of a suitable hospital in Luang Prabang
province,� the Ambassador added.
Co-operation between the two neighbours has led to a stabilising of consumer
prices and a reduction in the Lao reliance on Thai goods. China and Vietnam
are two countries of especial importance to Lao businesses because they
accept the Lao kip and thus help the government reduce inflation levels. The
prevalence of Barter trade between the two countries also reduces the risk
of a shortage in hard currencies such as the US dollar.
According to the Vientiane Business Centre, located in the Nongduang market,
most of its imported goods are bought from China. The Centre state recently
that it encourages Lao consumers to purchase Chinese goods because they are
cheaper than their Thai equivalents and are of the same quality. �The
arrival of Chinese goods on the Lao market caused a change in Lao people�s
attitudes towards Thai goods which consumers used to believe represented
quality and style,� a Lao shopper said. In 2000 there were 49 Chinese
investment projects in Laos worth more than US $40 million. Another 25 joint
venture projects currently operating are worth more than US $ 59 million.
_________________________________________________
KOMINFORM
P.O. Box 66
00841 Helsinki
Phone +358-40-7177941
Fax +358-9-7591081
http://www.kominf.pp.fi
General class struggle news:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Geopolitical news:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
__________________________________________________
