Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone spoke highly of the strategic guidance of China's top leadership in driving the country's development and pledged to learn from China's success in areas including poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
Sonexay made the remarks during an interview with China Media Group (CMG) aired on Friday.
Having visited China many times over the past decades, Sonexay has witnessed China's transformation firsthand. Lao prime minister said he was impressed by China's development achieved under the strategic guidance of its top leadership, and highlighted the role of such guidance in responding to global challenges.
"I visited China when I was a child. Later, during my time as a local official, I had more opportunities to come to China. After assuming leadership role at the central government, I've been to China to attend international conferences on multiple occasions. What has left a deep impression on me is how China's development has consistently followed the strategic guidance of its top leadership, particularly that of President Xi Jinping. In the face of a rapidly evolving and complex global environment, China has formulated thoughtful strategies to respond to these challenges. For example, China is promoting innovation in cutting-edge areas like science and technology and artificial intelligence. At the same time, it's investing heavily in infrastructure to ensure more balanced development across provinces and cities," he said.
Sonexay lauded the achievement China has made in poverty alleviation, adding that Laos will learn from China's successful experience and strengthen the bilateral cooperation.
"China has made extraordinary achievements in poverty alleviation. It has lifted over 800 million people out of poverty, providing valuable experience for other countries in poverty reduction. The Communist Party of China stays true to its founding mission, that is, to serve the people. It listens to the public and incorporates their aspirations into its policies. In this regard, China has done exceptionally well, and stands as a model for others striving to eradicate poverty. We look forward to deepening our cooperation with China as we work to finalize Laos' 10th Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2026-2030," he said.
Moreover, Sonexay also emphasized China's achievements in pursuing green and sustainable development.
"China has made remarkable progress in social and cultural development, as well as in environmental protection. For example, air quality in Beijing has improved significantly, and ecological conditions, whether in large cities or small rural towns, have seen noticeable improvement. The environment is beautiful; vegetation coverage has increased substantially. These achievements reflect a strong alignment with global development trends and priorities. China has truly achieved green and sustainable development," he said.
Sonexay noted that Laos has drawn inspiration from Chinese practices when transforming the country's rural lifestyles in an eco-friendlier and cost-effective way.
"Inspired by China's successful experience, Laos is now working to transform rural lifestyles by moving from traditional shifting cultivation to planned reforestation and land use. We aim to expand the cultivation of high-value economic crops, explore carbon emissions trading, and encourage our people to protect natural vegetation. Ultimately, our goal is to raise the quality of life for our people," he added.
Lao PM pledges to learn from China's experiences in poverty alleviation, sustainable development
