On November 25, 2018, in the Lao Agriculture and Forestry Breeding Center in Vientiane, Laos, salute and applause burst forth. The foundation stone lying ceremony for China-Laos Agricultural Research and Production Cooperation Project Base was celebrated under the efforts and witness of the leaders of relevant departments of China and Laos, marking an important step in the field of basic research and cooperative production for China-Laos Agricultural cooperation under “the Belt and Road”.

 

Zhan Takun, director of Lao Agriculture, Forestry and Breeding Center presided over the foundation stone laying ceremony on that day. Du Jiahao, secretary of the Hunan Provincial Party Committee and director of the Standing Committee of the Provincial People’s Congress, delivered a speech at the foundation stone laying ceremony. He pointed out that the Laos-China Agricultural Research and Production Cooperation Project Base is a priority project under the framework of Laos Modern Agricultural Industrial Park, a key China-Laos project under “the Belt and Road”. It is a specific measurement taken by General Secretary Xi Jinping and General Secretary Boungnang to “promote the building of a community with a shared future between China and Laos” through practical actions. It is also an important result of Hunan Province’s positive response to “the Belt and Road Initiative” and it’s strengthening of exchanges and cooperation with Laos. The completion of the project base is of great significance for strengthening exchanges and cooperation between China and Laos, promoting the development of modern agriculture in Laos and consolidating the traditional friendship between China and Laos. It is hoped that the foundation of the project will be a new starting point, to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation and bear more fruitful fruits.

 

 

Secretary Du Jiahao said that as a major agricultural province, Human has an edge on agricultural science and technology, talents and equipment. Laos is located in a gold ecological production area of rice in Southeast Asia and is rich in agricultural resources. Therefore, both countries have natural advantages and a good foundation for cooperation. It is hoped that the leading agricultural enterprises in the province, such as Grain Group, Longping High-tech and Jinjian Rice, which come here to carry out investment investigation and project connection, will join hands with Laos to create a better future.

 

 

At the foundation stone laying ceremony, Lian·Tiqiao, Lao Minister of Agriculture and Forestry thanked the Chinese government for its help to Lao agricultural development, the world-famous Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences for its help and support in improving Lao agricultural scientific research, and Hunan’s Xuanye Company, the first to develop in Laos, for exporting Lao rice to China. He commented that Xuanye Company is a bridge and special envoy connecting the agriculture in Laos and China. He said that China-Laos agricultural research and production cooperation project is another important symbol of cooperation between the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Hunan Province, and is also an important achievement since the two countries’ top leaders exchanged visits in November 2017 and May 2018. It is hoped that Laos and China will work together to give full play to their respective advantages and improve the research on rice in Laos. After the “China-Laos Railway” opens in 2021, more high-quality and safe Lao rice and agricultural products will be exported to China.

 

 

Xu Guowu, Chairman of Xuanye (Laos) Co., Ltd., delivered a speech on behalf of the three parties. He introduced the details of Xuanye’s implementation of “the Belt and Road” spirit in Laos. He said that the China-Laos agricultural research and production cooperation project jointly carried out by Xuanye Company, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Lao Academy of Agriculture and Forestry will deepen the China-Laos agricultural research cooperation and is another witness to the company’s strategic cooperation in Laos to realize “the Belt and Road Initiative”. In the future, the three parties will work together to deepen this international cooperation, promote the agricultural transformation in Laos, promote the agricultural science and technology cooperation between Laos and China, and create a model for China-Laos agricultural cooperation and an innovative field for “the Belt and Road” agricultural cooperation. He encouraged more high-quality enterprises to “come out” and “take root” in Laos Modern Agricultural Industrial Park, jointly raising the sails of dreams, showing splendid Chinese business cards, demonstrating international cooperation of models, and jointly building an unbreakable community with a shared future between China and Laos.

 

 

Over 100 people attended the ceremony, including Jiang Zaidong, Chinese Ambassador to Laos; Songpeng•Xijialun, Deputy Minister of External Relations of the Lao Party Central Committee; Buang•Barissa, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos; Ben Dittami, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology of Laos; Xilisampan•Warraj, Director of Planning and Cooperation Department of Lao Ministry of Industry and leaders of relevant departments of the Lao government and some economic and trade delegations of Hunan Province.