China to further deepen defense, security cooperation with Laos: spokesman

China will further deepen defense and security cooperation with Laos as this year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Zhang Xiaogang, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said at a press conference in Beijing on Friday.

He made the remarks while briefing the media on how to promote the military ties between the two countries.

"The year 2026 marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Laos, and bilateral ties are now at its best in history. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both parties and countries, the high-level exchanges between the two militaries have been close. The two sides have organized a series of joint military exercises such as 'the Friendship Shield' and 'the Peace Train,' conducted border defense friendship exchanges, made mutual visits by young and middle-aged officers, and carried out cooperation in areas such as academic education and military culture, continuously deepening cooperation and pursuing tangible progress in military ties between the two countries. The Chinese military has also held multiple mine-clearing training courses to help Laos enhance its capacity to safeguard the security and well-being of its people," said Zhang.

"China and Laos are friendly socialist neighbors connected by shared mountains and rivers. The Chinese military will work with the Lao side to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both parties and countries, continue to carry forward traditional friendship, strengthen strategic communication and coordination, deepen defense and security cooperation, contribute to promoting the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future toward a high-standard, high-quality and high-level goal, and make new contributions to promoting peace and stability in the region and the world at large," he said.

China to further deepen defense, security cooperation with Laos: spokesman

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday chaired a State Council executive meeting which mulled measures to boost consumption by accelerating the formation of new growth points in service consumption.

The meeting called for continued efforts to boost consumption by fully leveraging the integrated effects of different policies, linking improvement in people's wellbeing to consumption growth, and giving full play to the fundamental role of consumption in driving economic growth.

The meeting emphasized the importance of accelerating the cultivation of new growth points in service consumption, supporting new business forms, models, and scenarios, and increasing the supply of high-quality services.

Efforts should be made to improve the long-term mechanism for promoting consumption by formulating and implementing plans aimed at expanding consumption during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), increasing the income of urban and rural residents, speeding up the removal of unreasonable restrictive measures for consumption, and implementing the paid leave system. These measures are intended to boost people's consumption capacity and willingness to spend, promote the upgrading of consumption and industrial structures, and accelerate the building of a strong domestic market.

The meeting also made arrangements for actions to clear overdue payments to enterprises and ensure the issue of wage arrears for migrant workers is properly addressed. The meeting also deliberated and adopted a draft decision of the State Council on revising and abolishing some administrative regulations.

Chinese premier chairs meeting on promoting service consumption