Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with visiting Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane in Beijing on Tuesday, to discuss relations between their two countries.
Thongsavanh is in China to attend the 11th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
Wang said China is ready to work with Laos to further build a community with a shared future.
He urged efforts from both sides to make full use of the Joint Committee for China-Laos Economic Corridor Cooperation, accelerate development of the China-Laos Railway, and expand cooperation in trade and mineral resources.
Thongsavanh said Laos is committed to advancing the building of a Laos-China community with a shared future, and strengthening cooperation with China in connectivity, energy, mineral resources, and artificial intelligence.
He also pledged closer coordination to combat transnational crime and jointly safeguard ASEAN unity and autonomy, as well as regional peace and stability.
This year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and the Year of China-Laos Friendship.
The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism comprises six countries: China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, which share the Lancang-Mekong River basin. The Mekong River, known as the Lancang River in China, originates in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of northwest China's Qinghai Province and flows through the six countries, linking their economies and creating opportunities for regional cooperation.
Chinese foreign minister meets Lao deputy prime minister on relations
Thai exporters are leveraging this year's China International Import Expo (CIIE) to seek new opportunities in China as innovation and shifting consumer demand reshape how Thailand's traditional agricultural products are grown, produced and brought to market.
For generations, families in Thailand have made a living from coconut palms, harvesting the fruit by hand and shipping it far beyond the orchards where it is grown.
Natthasak Manusrungsri's family has been exporting aromatic coconuts for more than two decades. But growing demand from China has transformed the scale of their business, driving production, expanding exports and inspiring new ways to bring this familiar fruit to consumers.
"Almost every factory that packs fresh coconuts depends on China as its main market, almost entirely. After Thailand received permission to export coconuts to China, volumes kept rising, driven by trends and by customers becoming more knowledgeable and health-conscious," said Natthasak Manusrungsri, managing director of K-Fresh Co.
But as demand grows, so does the pressure to innovate. Generations of agricultural knowledge are meeting a new generation of ideas.
For Thai producers, China offers enormous opportunities, but competition is intensifying. As consumer preferences change, exporters are shifting their focus beyond simply increasing sales to developing innovative products that offer greater convenience and bring more value to an increasingly competitive industry.
That transformation begins long before the coconuts leave the trees. Across a network of plantations, precision agriculture is helping farmers monitor growing conditions, identify problem areas, and improve yields, while maintaining the quality of Thailand's renowned coconuts.
Inside the factory, innovation takes a different form. Even the simple act of opening a coconut has been redesigned. A patented mechanism allows consumers to open it with a push.
"Innovation matters for both the farm and production, so we can deliver the highest quality to our customers. So, we practice precision agriculture. And in the factory, we focus on innovation to make it easier for consumers to open and enjoy, bringing quality products to consumers around the world and in China," said Manusrungsri.
For the farmers who tend these palms, the rhythm of life remains much as it has for generations. But beyond the orchards, almost everything else is changing.
And at CIIE 2026, Thailand's humble coconut is showing how an age-old harvest can find new value in a world of changing tastes and possibilities.
Thai coconut exporter taps CIIE to promote industry innovation
