On 15 December 2023, H.E. Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) met with H.E. Somphone Sichaleune, the newly-appointed Ambassador of the Lao PDR to China. 

Secretary General Shi congratulated Ambassador Somphone on his assumption of office and expressed gratitude to the Lao Embassy for its sustained support to the ACC, especially the Belt and Road Connecting ASEAN Events successfully held in Vientiane and Luang Prabang in November. Secretary General Shi expressed the ACC’s readiness to support Laos in executing the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN next year, and work closely with the Lao Embassy to further raise the public awareness of ASEAN in China, strengthen economic and trade cooperation and promote people-to-people exchanges, so as to further advance ASEAN-China comprehensive strategic partnership and Laos-China community with a shared future. 

Ambassador Somphone appreciated the ACC’s endeavors in promoting ASEAN-China and Laos-China relations and cooperation. He stressed that Laos and China, as good neighbors, good friends, good comrades and good partners, are building the unbreakable community of shared future. As the rotating ASEAN chair next year, Laos will try its utmost to promote community building and enhance ASEAN connectivity and resilience, and will work with other AMS and China to further promote ASEAN unity and centrality, and bring more tangible benefits to the peoples in the region. The Lao Embassy will continue to support the ACC in its future efforts and look forward to a bigger role to be played by the ACC in facilitating friendly exchanges and practical cooperation between ASEAN-China and Laos-China.