VIENTIANE, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese medical support team participating in the China-Laos "Peace Train-2026" joint humanitarian medical rescue exercise arrived in the Lao capital Vientiane on Sunday morning.
The team will conduct a 17-day joint exercise and medical service program with the medical support team of the Lao People's Army.
Bouasing Inthavong, deputy director of the General Logistics Department of the Lao People's Army, joined representatives from both sides in attending a warm welcome ceremony.
Song Caiping, captain of the "Peace Train" medical team, said at the ceremony that the Chinese participants had completed 11 rounds of intensive medical skills training before departure and had conducted realistic combat drills en route.
Bouasing expressed gratitude for the assistance China has provided to Laos in the health sector in recent years. He said that, with the continued and in-depth development of the "Peace Train" series of activities, medical support exchanges and cooperation between the two militaries have established a sound mechanism and system, marking a new stage in mutual trust and cooperation in the medical field between the two sides.
According to a member of the Chinese command and coordination group for the joint exercise, this year's exercise is being held against the backdrop of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Laos, the "China-Laos Friendship Year," and the fifth anniversary of the opening of the China-Laos Railway. It is the sixth time the two militaries have held this series of joint exercises.
The exercise will further enhance the two militaries' capabilities in joint command, joint rescue, and joint prevention and control in medical support, demonstrating their deep military friendship and mutual trust while continuing to build a model for bilateral military cooperation and exchanges.
Following the exercise, the medical team will travel to Vientiane, Savannakhet, Champasak, and Attapeu provinces to provide medical services, including specialized diagnosis and treatment and academic lectures.
These activities are expected to further deepen strategic mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, and promote medical exchanges between the two militaries toward more comprehensive, in-depth, and regularized development. They will also contribute to advancing the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future toward higher standards, higher quality, and higher levels. ■