Xi inaugurates Laos rail link

The future of bilateral friendship lies in the youth, and the foundation for interconnectivity lies in people-to-people exchanges, Xi said, adding that Beijing stands ready to train more high-caliber talent for the "road of China-Laos friendship".

He noted that this year marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations, saying that the key to the time-tested ties lies in the fact that both sides uphold common ideals, trust each other, stand in solidarity and share weal and woe.

"Standing at a new historic starting point, China is willing to step up strategic dialogue with Laos, jointly promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative and continue building an unbreakable China-Laos community with a shared future," he said.