China attaches high importance to its ties with Laos in the neighborhood diplomacy, and is willing to work with Laos to build an all-weather China-Laos community with a shared future in the new era, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping said in Beijing on Friday.

Xi held talks with General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith, who is paying a state visit to China from Tuesday to Saturday at the invitation of Xi.

"China has always attached high importance to its ties with Laos in the neighborhood diplomacy. China firmly supports Laos in following a socialist path that suits its national conditions. We are willing to carry forward traditional friendship with Laos, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, maintain close unity and collaboration, promote a new leap in bilateral ties, and jointly build an all-weather China-Laos community with a shared future in the new era," Xi said.

Laos fully agrees with China and supports the upgrading of bilateral ties, and stands ready to work with China to consolidate high-level political mutual trust, Thongloun said.

"I feel extremely honored to lead th delegation on this state visit to China. What makes me particularly glad is to be able to meet you again. You are a close comrade and friend whom the LPRP and the government of Laos as well as the Lao people respect and trust deeply. We believe that this visit will further enhance high-level mutual trust between the two parties and the two countries of Laos and China," Thongloun said.