BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, replied on Thursday to Laos' top leader Thongloun Sisoulith to designate 2026 as the Year of China-Laos Friendship.

In the letter, Xi also joined Thongloun, general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao president, in announcing the launch of a series of events of celebration in the friendship year.

Xi noted that China and Laos are good neighbors and good friends connected by mountains and rivers with generations of friendship, as well as good comrades and good partners who share ideals and a common future.

In recent years, Xi added, the two sides have pursued development through mutual benefit, met challenges through unity and collaboration, and firmly supported each other on issues involving their respective core interests, bringing tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries.

Xi recalled his multiple meetings with Thongloun, during which they reached important consensus on deepening the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future, and charting a blueprint for the development of relations between the two parties and the two countries under new circumstances.

Noting that with the turn of the year comes the renewal of all things, Xi said that China-Laos relations are at their best in history, with broad prospects for development.

China has always viewed its relations with Laos from a strategic height and a long-term perspective, and is willing to take the celebration of the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the friendship year as an opportunity to carry forward traditional friendship, deepen practical cooperation, strengthen strategic coordination, and advance the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future to the forefront of state-to-state relations, making greater contributions to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity, Xi said.

In his New Year greetings to Xi, Thongloun said that with Xi's care and guidance, traditional Laos-China friendship has grown stronger, political mutual trust has deepened, and their comprehensive strategic cooperation has yielded fruitful results.

Thongloun has pledged to instruct various departments of his country to work with the Chinese side to ensure the success of the celebrations marking the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the friendship year, build a Laos-China community with a shared future with high standards, high quality and high level, and continue to elevate bilateral relations and practical cooperation in all fields to new heights in the new era, setting an example for building a community with a shared future for humanity.