VIENTIANE, Laos, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Hu Jintao,
general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China(CPC)
and Chinese president, arrived in Vientiane, capital of Laos, Sunday for a state
visit aimed at promoting bilateral ties in the new century.
Hu flew in from the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi after
paying a state visit to the country and after attending the two-day 14th
Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
During his stay in Vientiane, Hu will discuss ways of
expanding cooperation between China and the Southeast Asian nation.
In recent years, China and Laos have maintained
exchanges of high-level visits and made remarkable achievements in cooperation
in various sectors.
Hu will end his visit to Laos Monday and continue his
four-nation Asia tour, which will also take him to India and Pakistan.
Backgrouder: basic
facts about Lao People's Democratic Republic
BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- A landlocked nation in
Southeast Asia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic is surrounded by China,
Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand.
Laos is a mountainous country with an area of 236,800
square km and a population of 6 million with more than 60 ethnic groups. The
Mekong River flows through the country. Eighty-five percent of residents believe
in Buddhism. Lao is the official language and its capital is Vientiane.
Laos has a long history and was once among the most
prosperous countries in Southeast Asia. In modern times, it has been invaded by
France, Japan and the United States. In Dec. 1975, the 1st National People's
Congress of Laos opened in Vietiane and the Lao People's Democratic Republic was
founded.
In recent years, the Lao economy has enjoyed rapid
development .During 2001-2005, its economy posted an average growth rate of 6.2
percent. In 2005, the country's Gross Domestic Products (GDP) reached 2.92
billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 7.2 percent over 2004. Under the Sixth
Five-Year Plan, Laos' GDP in 2010 will quadruple that of 2000. It aims to take
itself out of the list of the world's least developed countries in 2020.
Laos pursues an independent foreign policy of peace
and maintaining friendly relations with all countries. By the end of 2005, it
has established diplomatic ties with 121 countries in the world. In July 1997,
Laos was formally admitted to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN).
Laos and China enjoy a profound traditional
friendship. The two countries established diplomatic ties on April 25, 1961. In
Nov. 2000, the then Chinese President Jiang Zemin paid a state visit to Laos.
During the visit, the two sides signed a joint communique on strengthening
bilateral cooperation.
In June this year, Lao President and Sectary-General
of Central Committee of Lao People's Revolutionary Party Choummaly Sayasone
visited China, pushing bilateral relations to a new high.
With bilateral relations steadily growing, exchanges
and cooperation in various fields and at different levels have been expanded,
and trade and economic cooperation increased. In 2003, bilateral trade exceeded
100 million U.S. dollars and it reached 130 million in 2005, a 13.6-percent rise
over the previous year. During Jan.- Sept. this year, bilateral trade reached
175 million dollars, an increase of 119.4 percent over the same period of last
year.
