Chinese premier visits Chinese-language school in Laos

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday visited a Chinese-language school in the Laotian capital of Vientiane.

The Lieutou Chinese School, founded in 1937 and financed by local Chinese, now hosts more than 2,800 students. It teaches both Chinese and Laotian and offers courses from kindergarten to high school.

The Chinese premier received a warm welcome on the campus, where students sang well-known Chinese songs and recited a poem that highlighted China-Laos friendship.

Li also watched a group of students writing Chinese calligraphy and encouraged the youngsters to make contributions to the development of their countries and to the friendship between the two countries.

While meeting with a team of over 20 volunteer teachers from China, Li praised them for sowing the seed of friendship. He expressed the hope that the teachers will promote exchanges between the two peoples.

Li told the students and faculty that China and Laos enjoy strong mutual political trust, long-standing friendship, and close people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Li arrived in Vientiane on Tuesday for a China-ASEAN leaders' meeting, a meeting between leaders of ASEAN nations and those of China, Japan and South Korea, and an East Asia Summit. He also made an official visit to Laos.