Chinese vice premier calls for greater cooperation with Laos on AI, digital economy

China

Chinese vice premier calls for greater cooperation with Laos on AI, digital economy

2025-03-14 22:27 Last Updated At：22:47

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People's Democratic Republic Thongsavanh Phomvihane in Beijing on Friday, calling on both countries to expand cooperation in the fields of artificial intelligence and the digital economy.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that as socialist comrades and brothers, China and Laos should earnestly implement the important consensus reached between the top leaders of the two parties and countries, intensify high-level exchange, deepen political mutual trust, and work together to safeguard security and development interests.

Ding called on both countries to strengthen their development strategy alignment, advance the construction of the China-Laos Economic Corridor, and improve the quality and efficiency of the China-Laos Railway.

Thongsavanh congratulated China on its successful convening of the "two sessions," noting that Laos firmly supports China in safeguarding its core interests.

Laos is willing to deepen its comprehensive, practical cooperation with China and push the construction of a Laos-China community with a shared future to a new level.

Russia expands blacklist of EU members in response to latest sanctions

Russia has largely expanded the blacklist of European Union (EU) officials banned from entering the country in response to Brussels' 20th sanctions package against Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

The EU continues its attempts to pressure Russia by scaling up unilateral restrictive measures, the ministry said in a statement, adding that Brussels' destructive actions grossly violate the norms of international law.

"We have also imposed restrictive measures against civil society activists and academics in European countries who hold hostile positions toward Russia, as well as members of national parliaments of EU member states and the European Parliament who voted in favor of anti-Russian resolutions and bills," said the statement.

Russia has also barred entry to representatives of European institutions and EU member states involved in decisions on providing military aid to Ukraine, it added.

European Council President Antonio Costa said on Thursday that the EU has approved a 90-billion-euro loan package for Ukraine, along with a 20th round of sanctions against Russia.