China-Laos "Peace Train-2022" joint medical drill concludes

VIENTIANE, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The medical train of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China, after concluding its mission in the "Peace Train-2022" joint humanitarian medical rescue exercise and medical service activities, headed for China on Friday morning.

According to the bilateral annual plan for exchanges and cooperation, the Chinese and Lao militaries organized the "Peace Train-2022" humanitarian medical rescue joint exercise and medical service activities in Lao capital Vientiane and the adjacent town of Phonhong from July 19 to July 29.

A closing ceremony for the 10-day drill was held Thursday in the General Logistics Department of the Lao People's Army in Vientiane, while Lao Deputy Defense Minister Vongkham Phommakone awarded "Friendship Medals" to 10 representatives from the Chinese military medical team.

The PLA "Peace Train" medical team has been working closely with the Lao People's Army's medical and logistics units, highlighting the "four joints" of joint command and control, joint treatment of the wounded, joint epidemic prevention and control, and joint evacuation of the wounded, during the medical rescue exercise.

The Chinese team also handed over the donated nucleic acid testing equipment and reagents, masks and other epidemic prevention and protection materials to the Lao People's Army.

In the medical service activities, the Chinese military medical experts actively participated in discussions and exchanges, academic lectures and COVID-19 prevention and control training with the Lao army's Hospital 103. The medical team also offered free medical treatment to local people.

Chen Chunming, head of the Chinese medical team, said at the ceremony that this year's activities are another in-depth cooperation and practice in the medical and logistics sector between the Chinese and Laotian armies.

Such a cooperation not only enhances the joint emergency rescue capabilities of the two armed forces, but also deepens the friendship between the two armies, and is of landmark significance for further opening up a new link for exchanges between the two armies and for building a new platform for win-win cooperation, Chen added.

In his speech, Khamphet Sixanon, chief of the General Logistics Department of the Lao People's Army, said that through these activities, the Lao and Chinese armies not only improved their professional ability, but also further enhanced the traditional friendly and cooperative relations.

He believed that in the future, both sides can carry out cooperation and exchanges on a larger scale and with more projects on the basis of this year's success experiences.