Beijing, August 11th—Sun Haiyan, Vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), went to the Lao Embassy in China today to mourn the passing of Xaysomphone Phomvihane, Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President of the National Assembly. 

Sun conveyed the profound condolences of Minister Liu Haixing on the passing of Comrade Xaysomphone Phomvihane to Somphone Sichaleune, Lao Ambassador to China. She said that Comrade Xaysomphone was an outstanding leader of the LPRP and Laos, having made important contributions to the cause of reform and socialist construction in Laos, and having long been actively promoting the development of relations between the two Parties and the two countries. It is believed that under the strong leadership of the LPRP Central Committee headed by General Secretary Thongloun Sisoulith, the LPRP and the Lao people will surely turn grief into strength and continue to advance the socialist cause of Laos. China is ready to work with Laos, guided by the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two Parties and the two countries, to continuously deepen cooperation in various fields and jointly build an all-weather China-Laos community with a shared future in the new era. 

Somphone expressed sincere gratitude to Sun for coming to pay condolences, stressing that the Lao side is ready to work with the Chinese side to carry forward and promote the traditional friendship between Laos and China. He thanked the IDCPC for its long-standing contributions to relations between the LPRP and the CPC as well as its support for the work of the Lao Embassy in China, and expressed readiness to continue close coordination to bring more well-being to the peoples of both countries.