Lao PM looks forward to deepening AI cooperation with China

Laos is very willing to learn and cooperate with China in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), said Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, recognizing China's rapid and significant progress in AI development.

During a recent exclusive interview with China Central Television (CCTV), Sonexay Siphandone mentioned the DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup that sent shockwaves through the tech world and beyond with the release of its AI assistant DeepSeek-R1, marks a major step for China in catching the AI trend.

"Regarding the development of DeepSeek, this is a new direction and a trend in the digital age. I highly appreciate China's development in this field. China's development in the AI field is very rapid, and President Xi Jinping also attaches great importance to the development of this field," he said.

Sonexay also expressed his great expectations that the China-ASEAN AI innovation cooperation center, which will be established in Laos capital Vientiane, will enable the Lao economy to keep pace with the times.

"AI will help us develop human resources more effectively and use natural resources more efficiently. Laos is very willing to cooperate with China and learn from China's experience to develop Laos' economy so that Laos' economy can keep up with the times. We believe that cooperation between the two countries will help Laos develop science and technology and AI," he said.

Lao PM looks forward to deepening AI cooperation with China

Over 80,000 foreign travelers have entered south China's Hainan Province visa-free since the launch of the island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), an increase of 64 percent year on year, according to official data.

Since the special customs operations began on Dec 18, 2025, ports across the province have maintained stable operation, with the number of foreign travelers continuously growing.

Data from the Haikou General Station of Immigration Inspection showed that from Dec 18, 2025 to Friday, ports across Hainan inspected 180,000 foreign nationals entering and exiting the country, an increase of 46.5 percent year on year, accounting for 58.6 percent of the total number of inbound and outbound travelers during the same period.

A total of 80,000 foreign travelers entered under visa-free policies, accounting for 94.2 percent of the total number of foreign tourists entering the country during the period.

Most of the foreign travelers came to China for tourism, who were mainly from Russia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Kazakhstan, and Singapore.

Hainan sees sharp increase in foreign travelers entering visa-free