On 28 November 2024, during his visit to Sichuan, Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) together with Ambassador Somphone Sichaleune of the Lao PDR met with Ms. Shi Xiaolin, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee and Governor of the People’s Government of Sichuan Province. They exchanged views on ASEAN-China relations and discussed the strengthening of cooperation between Sichuan Province and ASEAN Member States (AMS), including Laos.

Shi Xiaolin spoke highly of the successful "Lecture Series on ASEAN-China Relations" by Ambassador Somphone, organized by the ACC at Sichuan University, and expressed her willingness to further enhance ASEAN-Sichuan people-to-people exchanges. She highlighted that Sichuan, as an important provincial economy in China, has the advantage of unique and favorable conditions in areas such as resource endowment, industrial foundation, scientific and educational innovation, cultural environment as well as the opening-up policy. Based on the existing cooperation and partnership, Sichuan is willing to build more solid platforms with Laos and AMS, further explore cooperation in areas such as economy and trade, agriculture, education, science and technology, culture, tourism and youth, as well as to strive for broader and deeper exchanges and common development, so as to contribute to the development of ASEAN-China and Laos-China relations at a higher level.

Ambassador Somphone stressed that under the strategic guidance of both leaders, Laos and China have adhered to the spirit of “good neighbors, good friends, good comrades and good partners”, which promotes the building of the Laos-China community with a shared future with fresh impetus toward sustainability and consolidation. Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith, charting the course for the future development of Laos-China relations. Laos will continue to follow the strategic consensus between the leaders of the two sides and the Action Plan on Building a China-Laos Community with a Shared Future (2024-2028), to strengthen exchanges on governance and exchanges at all levels, and enhance cooperation between the two sides in all fields. Laos always warmly welcomes Sichuan to encourage more enterprises to invest in Laos and inject "Sichuan power" into the common development of Laos and China.

Shi Zhongjun elaborated on the ACC's support for Sichuan to expand mutual benefits and cooperation with ASEAN countries with its own resources and advantages, and expected the two sides to deeply explore the potential for cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, modern agriculture, ecological and environmental protection, innovative cultural tourism and youth education. The ACC will remain committed to playing its bridging role as a platform for cooperation, promoting mutual understanding between Sichuan and ASEAN countries, realizing win-win cooperation and enriching the closer ASEAN-China community with a shared future.