On June 16, 2026, Ambassador Fang Hong and Laotian Deputy Foreign Minister Maitong signed the 2026 Lancang Mekong Cooperation Special Fund Laos Project Cooperation Agreement at the Laotian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Laos and relevant Laotian ministries attended the signing ceremony.

Ambassador Fang stated in his speech that over the past decade, the Lancang Mekong Cooperation has grown from a seed to a towering tree. China will continue to adhere to the Lancang Mekong spirit of "development first, equal consultation, pragmatic efficiency, openness and inclusiveness", and work together with Laos to create a "Lancang Mekong Cooperation 2.0 version" that is united, cooperative, open, win-win, green innovation, and peaceful. The special fund is an important lever to promote the implementation of Lancang Mekong Cooperation and benefit the people of regional countries. China is willing to work with Laos to further strengthen project management and effectively leverage the benefits of the fund.

Maitong highly praised the significance of the Lancang Mekong Cooperation in promoting regional peace and development, as well as the old strategy of "transforming landlocked countries into land linked countries". Maitong expressed willingness to strengthen cooperation with China, promote high-quality implementation of projects, and jointly open a new "golden decade" of Lancang Mekong Cooperation.Editor/Gong Ziwei