Lao's consul general pays visit to Guiyang Foreign Affairs Office

Smokhit Vankham, consul general of the Consulate-general of Laos in Changsha, capital of Central China's Hunan province, paid a visit to the Guiyang Foreign Affairs Office in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, on Feb 14.

The two sides conducted in-depth discussions on promoting exchanges and cooperation between Guiyang and Laos, focusing on the establishment of sister cities, business investment, agriculture, and tourism, among other things.

Smokhit Vankham (L4), consul general of the Consulate-general of Laos in Changsha, Liu Song (R3), deputy director of the Guiyang Foreign Affairs Office, and other officials pose for a group photo. [Photo/WeChat account of Guiyang Foreign Affairs Office]

Vankham said that, in 2021, Guizhou and Luang Namtha Province of Laos signed a letter of intent to establish a sister province relationship online, while in 2022, Guiyang also signed a letter of intent to establish a sister city relationship with Kaysone Phomvihane city in Laos.

Guiyang and Laos should rely on their traditional friendship and the current strong cooperation between the two countries, and take the opportunity of the smooth opening of the China-Laos Railway, further strengthen mutual visits and promote the construction of sister cities, the consul general said.

The Consulate-general of Laos in Changsha will provide full support to promoting exchanges and cooperation between the two sides in economic and trade investment, agriculture, education, and tourism, Vankham added.

Liu Song, deputy director of the Guiyang Foreign Affairs Office, said that, in recent years, Guiyang has made strides in industries such as new energy batteries, advanced equipment manufacturing, and big data, and its ecological climate advantages have been strengthened.

The Guiyang International Land Port Project, located in Guiyang Free Trade Zone, linked the China-Laos Railway and the China-Europe freight train for the first time in May last year. Goods can go directly to Europe through the China-Laos Railway through the Chinese mainland, which greatly saves on transportation costs and improves transportation efficiency.

This provides a good platform for Guiyang and Laos to promote economic cooperation relying on the China-Laos Railway, Liu said.

Liu suggested establishing a communication mechanism to promote cooperation between the two sides.