China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin met in Vientiane on Tuesday respectively with Lao National Assembly President Thongsing Thammavong and Vice President Bounnang Vorachit.

Both sides spoke highly of the development of bilateral relations in the past years during the meetings.

At the meeting with Thongsing, Jia, member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said the CPC and the Chinese government have always valued the friendship between the two countries.

The Chinese side will work with the Lao side to further promote bilateral good neighborly friendship and comprehensive cooperation, and push the relations between the two parties and the two countries to higher levels, said Jia, who arrived in Vientiane on Monday on an official goodwill visit as guest of Sisavath Keobounphanh, chairman of the Lao Front for National Reconstruction.

Thongsing, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, said Jia 's visit coincides with Laos' 33rd anniversary of the founding of the republic and it helped promote the friendship between the two peoples.

He said the Lao National Assembly will make continuous efforts to enhance bilateral political mutual trust and expand exchanges at various levels.

He also said Laos and China should strengthen cooperation to fight the current international financial crisis.

During the meeting with Bounnang, Jia voiced his congratulations on Laos' 33rd anniversary of the founding of the republic and said China supports Laos' development path suited to its own conditions.

Jia said the current task facing the two countries is to consolidate traditional friendship and expand substantial cooperation and it is the firm and set policy of the Chinese government to deepen bilateral good neighborly friendship and comprehensive cooperation.

He said he hoped that the two sides will maintain high-level contacts, further economic and trade cooperation, expand cooperation in such fields as science, technology, finance and education, and promote coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs.

Bounnang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, highly valued the smooth growth of the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

He said Jia's visit has made positive contributions to the further development of friendship and cooperation between the two sides.

Jia also met in Vientiane on Tuesday with Lao former president Khamtay Siphandone.

Laos is the third leg of Jia's four-nation visit which has taken him to Jordan and Turkey, and will also take him to Cambodia.

(Xinhua News Agency December 2, 2008)