[Laos]Thongloun: Lao-Chinese relations ride the waves and endure
In an exclusive interview with High-End Interview, Lao President Thongloun said recently that Lao-Chinese relations are unbreakable and have a tradition of fraternal friendship, and that in 2021, on the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Laos, the China-Lao railway officially opened to traffic. On that day, President Thongloun described the moment as a "dream come true". Now, almost a year on, what changes has this 'dream moment' brought to the lives of the local people? What new thoughts does President Thongloun have on the development of Laos and on the past, present and future of China-Lao relations? This article is sourced from CCTV News and the interview is as follows.
01 When it comes to Laos, many Chinese people may not have been here yet, but we are not strangers to this country, as China and Laos are friendly neighbours linked by mountains and water. Especially since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the relationship between the two countries can be said to have ridden the waves and been strong for a long time. So we would like to know what you think of the relationship between China and Laos. What are your expectations if you look ahead?
Thongloun: That is a very good question. The two countries are linked by mountains and water, and more importantly, they have a tradition of brotherly and friendly relations since ancient times. Lao and China have helped each other at various times in history, and in recent times they have supported each other in their respective struggles against foreign aggression. In particular, the Chinese Communist Party, army and people have given timely, effective and unconditional help to Laos in the cause of national salvation. During the period of domestic construction in Laos, the Chinese Party and Government and people have always extended their full cooperation and assistance to Laos.
Last year, when Laos and China celebrated the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, we jointly reviewed the relationship between the two countries from a long-term and stable comprehensive strategic partnership in 2009 under the guidance of the "Four Good Spirits" to the upgrading of the relationship to a Lao-China and China-Lao Community of Common Destiny in 2019, all of which has laid a solid foundation for the continued development of the unbreakable relationship between the two countries as friends, comrades and brothers. A solid foundation has been laid.
02 I heard that you first visited China in 1970, what was your impression of China at that time?
Thongloun: My first visit to China was to Nanning, to send Lao students to study at China-Lao Friendship School. I have been to China many times since 1970 and China has changed dramatically. During that time, we sent over 500 students to study in China.
I was the teacher who sent the students there, working at the Lao Patriotic Front's representative office in Hanoi, and I was still very young. You weren't born then, were you? When we went, Laos was going through a war and we had to send the children to China and ask our Chinese comrades to look after them.
President Thongloun is recalling a dusty past. During the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s, the United States launched a "secret war" against Laos, dropping up to two million tonnes of bombs on the country. To support Laos, which was mired in war, China built the China-Lao Friendship School in Nanning, Guangxi, free of charge. The school was named the "Sixth Seventh" School because it was founded in 1967. As a young man in the midst of the war, Thongloun was part of the patriotic front in Laos, escorting a large number of Lao children to China, and this is how his relationship with China began. Half a century later, new railways have been built in the once war-torn land, the children who grew up in China have become the backbone of the Lao people in all walks of life, and China has changed through development. As a witness to all this, Thongloun is overwhelmed with emotion.
03 Since then, I have heard from your colleagues that you have been to China many, many times. You have just mentioned the radical changes, what are some of the changes that you find particularly impressive?
Tonglen: I think the most impressive thing is the huge changes that have taken place in China. Firstly, the steady economic development, secondly, the security and stability of the country, and then the increased international status of China and its role in the developing world, where China has now become a pillar in maintaining world peace and stability.
04 Many people say that China-Laos relations are "palpable and feelable" in Laos, which brings us to the flagship project of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries - the China-Laos Railway. At the end of last year, you met with President Xi Jinping by video and jointly attended the opening ceremony of the China-Laos Railway. At that time, President Xi Jinping said that after the opening of the railway, "the mountains are no longer high and the road is no longer long" from Kunming to Vientiane. After the opening of the railway, has it brought any real changes to the life of the local people and economic development?
Thongloun: As you said, I still remember what President Xi Jinping said when he attended the opening ceremony of the China-Laos Railway with me, "Once the railway is opened, the mountains between the two countries will no longer be high and the roads will no longer be long". I have been following the China-Lao Railway since I was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Laos, and it is a significant piece of our transport history. Before that, there had never been a standard-gauge railway in Laos, and this is the first one. Today, this modern railway has become the pride of Laos and its people. Secondly, Laos is a landlocked country with no access to the sea, and this railway will help Laos to have a logistics network to the sea, with easy access to other countries in the region, both for passengers and for freight. In every way, it will promote more investors and tourists to invest and visit Laos. The third point is that this historic railway comes from President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road initiative, of which Laos is a supporter and a concrete practitioner, and from which it has benefited greatly. I believe that the China-Laos Railway will not stop at Laos. In the future, it will also be extended to other ASEAN countries. By then, the mutually beneficial relationship between China and Laos will have grown even more.
05 During the entire construction process of the China-Lao railway, you have actually visited the site many times, and you have also travelled on the Lancang train. We would like to know what you felt at that moment when you were sitting in the carriage and the train started, picked up speed and drove away quickly.
Thongloun: After the two sides agreed to start the construction of the China-Lao railway, I visited the railway construction site three or four times a year, sometimes two or three times. After the official opening of the China-Lao railway, I took the train to the northern provinces of Laos three times. The first time I went on it everyone was still very excited and the staff even let me drive the train with them in the cab. Now I am also deeply impressed by riding the trains on the China-Laos Railway, and that Laos has moving trains too.
Thongloun: The scenery on both sides of the railway is very beautiful, but unfortunately when the train enters the long tunnels you can't see the scenery outside, but these long tunnels also leave a lasting impression on you. Now more and more Lao people and people from the region want to come and experience the China-Lao railway. Many people are excited, "Is the High-speed train in Laos too? Really?" "Really! Laos has a High-speed train too!" So at the opening ceremony of the China-Lao Railway I said, the Lao people's dream has come true!
06 Now China's Belt and Road initiative and Laos' strategic alignment of turning a "land-locked country" into a "land-linked country" are going deeper and deeper. What are the next areas of cooperation that you expect to see between the two countries to achieve what you call the "dream come true" moment?
Thongloun: I think that the two countries should help each other to develop in all aspects, strengthen cooperation in security, economic cooperation, investment and trade, and strengthen cooperation in human resources development. I believe that through this interview and the broadcast of the programme, it will promote the development of tourism and bring more Chinese people to Laos.
07 Mr President, you have just mentioned that you hope to attract more Chinese investment. So we are also curious to know what kind of business environment Laos offers to Chinese investors?
Thongloun: Since we have done it, we have to do the best. There are many Chinese investors coming to Laos, and since they are here, we have to help each other to make the investment work and benefit both sides.
08 President Thongloun, I'm sorry I don't speak Lao, but in our conversation, I think I learnt two words, one is "Laotian" and the other is "ຈີ", which are supposed to stand for "China and Laos". I think these two words stand for "China and Laos". Since you have mentioned it so many times, I am curious to ask you if there are any elements of Chinese culture that you are particularly interested in?
Tonglen: The cultures of the two countries are similar, and there are many similarities in the way of life, food, clothing, housing and transport, as well as artistic performances. I think it is these things that make the two countries feel like a family. Lao people like Chinese food and Chinese songs, they like to go to China, to enjoy Chinese cultural monuments and to visit Chinese museums, and these are all things that interest Lao people. The Chinese, too, like Laos as well.
09 You also mentioned that the world today is full of challenges and crises. So against this background, how do you interpret the idea of community of Common destiny put forward by President Xi Jinping? In particular, he has put forward two very far-sighted initiatives, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, which Laos has also expressed support for. So in the next phase, how do you think cooperation between the two countries in this area should be further implemented?
Thongloun: The Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Community of Human Destiny proposed by President Xi Jinping are all of positive significance. There are more than 200 countries in the world, with a population of about 8 billion. If the world lacks security and countries do not take into account a common destiny or inclusive global development and security, then it will be a divided world. Once the world is divided and at war, there will be no peace and no development. The initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping are all good and Laos is happy to support and willing to speak out together for true peace and democracy globally.
10 I know that a little earlier this year you said that unilateral sanctions and embargoes would not make the world a better place. So what do you think we can do to make the world a better place if countries are now going to work together to meet the challenges, to get peace and prosperity?
Thongloun: I have said before that mutual sanctions, mutual blockades and mutual pressure do not contribute to global peace and cooperation. Laos, like China, is a developing country and we must work together and commit to building a multi-polar world, developing globalisation and cooperating to help each other build a more liveable world.
As President Thongloun told us in the interview, the China-Lao railway is only the beginning, not the end. This steel dragon carries the friendship, hopes and dreams of the two peoples, and is born again and again. Guided by the idea of a community of human destiny, we also look forward to seeing the two countries continue to help each other, walk hand in hand and create more "dream moments".