VIENTIANE, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- The development of socialism in Laos injects new momentum into China-Laos relations.
The three-day 12th National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) concluded successfully on Jan. 8, summarizing Laos' achievements over the past five years, charting the future direction of the country's socialist development, and injecting new impetus into the advancement of China-Laos relations.
The congress reviewed and adopted a series of key political documents, including the political report of the 11th Central Committee and the 10th Five-Year Plan for Socio-Economic Development (2026-2030). Under the plan, Laos aims to achieve an average annual economic growth rate of 6 percent during the 2026-2030 period.
A key highlight of the congress was the adoption of the Party's third political program, which clearly sets the goal of transforming the country into an upper-middle-income developing nation by 2055, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the LPRP.
During the congress, the China-Laos Railway was frequently cited as a key driver of national development. Lao Minister of Public Works and Transport Leklay Sivilay stated in a media interview that the railway has played a vital role in promoting Laos' socio-economic growth.
According to the Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd. (LCRC), which operates the Lao section of the China-Laos Railway, the Lao section had carried more than 11.84 million passengers and transported over 16.77 million tons of freight as of Jan. 8. Since its opening four years ago, the railway has steadily improved operational efficiency, significantly enhancing regional connectivity and facilitating economic and trade exchanges between China and Laos.
Beyond transport infrastructure, cooperation between the two countries has expanded across a wide range of sectors under the strategic guidance of senior leaders from both sides. Substantial progress has been made in energy, healthcare, poverty alleviation, and other key areas, further consolidating the China-Laos community with a shared future. Notable achievements include the successful launch of the China-Laos 500 kV power grid interconnection project, marking a new chapter in cross-border power cooperation, and the handover of the China-aided Mahosot General Hospital, which has improved Laos' healthcare capacity. In addition, projects such as the China-aided rural poverty alleviation infrastructure initiative have been implemented, contributing directly to improved livelihoods.
While strategic and livelihood-related cooperation has continued to deepen, China-Laos economic and trade ties have also delivered tangible results, providing strong impetus for the development of bilateral relations. According to local daily Vientiane Times report on Nov. 2025, trade between Laos and China continued to expand, reaching 8.23 billion U.S. dollars in 2024 and 4.6 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2025. China's cumulative investment across various sectors in Laos has exceeded 18 billion U.S. dollars, making it the country's largest source of foreign investment.
A series of livelihood projects that embody bilateral friendship, together with robust economic and trade figures, painted a vivid picture of the China-Laos community with a shared future taking root, and injected sustained momentum into the deepening of strategic cooperation between the two countries.
The successful conclusion of the 12th LPRP National Congress opens a new chapter in Laos' socialist development and heralds fresh historical opportunities for advancing the China-Laos community with a shared future. Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the LPRP Central Committee and Lao president, stated that Laos stands ready to work with China to fully implement the action plan for building the China-Laos community with a shared future, strengthen unity and cooperation, jointly address risks and challenges arising from changes in the international and regional landscape, and safeguard the shared interests of both parties and countries.
Chinese Ambassador to Laos Fang Hong reaffirmed China's commitment to working closely with Laos to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two countries. She noted that the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Laos presents an opportunity to deepen exchanges on governance experience, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, promote the development of both countries' socialist causes, and build a high-standard, high-quality, and high-level community with a shared future, promote the building of a more just and reasonable global governance system, and set a positive example for building a community with a shared future for mankind. ■