Vientiane, 26 July 2024 (TDI): China, Russia, and Laos united and pledged to step up their cooperation to safeguard their common interests, advance prosperity and security in the region, and successfully confront threats and difficulties.
During a trilateral meeting in the Lao capital of Vientiane, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith shared their opinions. The meeting was one of several that the foreign ministers of Southeast and Eastern Asian nations attended.
Wang, a member of the Communist Party of China Central Committee’s Political Bureau, underlined during the trilateral meeting the world is changing at a rate that hasn’t changed in a century. He spoke about a delayed global economic recovery, the rise of new difficulties, and a changing international order.
He listed the main causes of instability, uncertainty, and unpredictability in the world today as the growing power of one nation, the propensity to act independently and defend one’s interests, the covert effects of isolationism and economic disengagement, as well as ongoing conflicts in some regions.
The Chinese foreign minister did, however, emphasize that people throughout the world share a desire for peace, development, collaboration, and mutual benefit. Globalization of the economy, multipolarity, and democracy in international affairs are the dominant trends of the modern world.
Wang claims that the Global South is growing significantly and that emerging powers are steadily gaining ground there. He highlights the common goals that nations in this region have for advancing integrated development, multilateralism, and stronger regional collaboration. Building a community that guarantees a better future for all of humanity is their ultimate goal.
Wang highlighted that the Asia-Pacific region’s developing economies—China, Russia, and Laos—contribute positively to the advancement of regional peace and development. Furthermore, he emphasized that these nations presently serve as the rotating chairs of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the BRICS group, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Improving coordination between the three countries, in his opinion, will not only safeguard their common interests but also show how closely-knit the neighbouring nations are, uniting in their efforts to promote regional peace, development, and problem-solving.
China is ready to work with Russia to support the ASEAN-centric regional cooperation framework, and it applauds Laos for leading ASEAN. According to Wang, China also promises to help Laos and the other ASEAN countries keep East Asia cooperation moving in the right direction.
Lavrov and Saleumxay agreed with China’s assessments of the state of the world, noting that the three countries had similar stances and viewpoints on several important issues.
According to the declarations made by the foreign ministers of Laos and Russia, both nations indicate their desire to improve cooperation and communication with China. To build a more potent synergy, they hope to fortify political mutual trust and plan for future cooperation. The goal is to safeguard the common interests of the three nations as well as those of other countries in the area.
The three sides conveyed their sincere gratitude for the excellent outcomes of their high-calibre Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation during their meeting. They pledged to support the BRI’s seamless integration with the ASEAN and Eurasian Economic Union’s growth plans. This is intended to create more avenues for collaboration and promote regional integration.
By utilizing the effective functioning of the China-Europe Express and the China-Laos Railway, they committed to fortifying their connectivity alliance. This will establish a railway corridor between Bangkok, Thailand, Laos, Manzhouli, Chengdu, and Kunming in China, and Manzhouli, Vientiane, Laos. They will also prioritize improving and growing auxiliary sectors in addition to guaranteeing the stability and effectiveness of supply and manufacturing chains.
Concerns about the role of outside powers in escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region were expressed by the three parties. Additionally, they reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening coordination and cooperation to confront and mitigate threats to security and stability in the region.
They came to a consensus to oppose, as a group, the use of force for political ends, to put multilateralism into practice, to prevent intergroup disputes, and to defend the values of international justice and fairness.
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To expand the regional integration, the three sides pledged to enhance cooperation between the ASEAN cooperative architecture and the SCO and BRICS institutions. They expressed hope for the participation of the secretaries-general of the SCO and ASEAN in upcoming meetings.
The representatives of China and Russia at the meeting stated that they supported Laos’s inclusion in SCO dialogues and its participation in BRICS framework activities.
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