Ma Xiaowei, minister of China's National Health Commission (NHC), meets with his Laotian counterpart, Bounkong Syhavong, on Apr 25 in Beijing. [Photo/nhc.gov.cn]

Ma Xiaowei, minister of China's National Health Commission (NHC), met with his Laotian counterpart Bounkong Syhavong on Apr 25 as the Laotian health minister participated in a sub-forum of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing.

They agreed to renew the MoU on health cooperation as soon as possible to build a win-win cooperative relationship in the field.

China and Laos are good neighbors and have launched programs on infectious diseases prevention and control, established medical service alliances as well as the China-Southeast Asia hospitals association, said Ma, adding that the two sides' pragmatic cooperation in many areas such as prevention and control of infectious diseases, medical services, medical talent training and hospital management contributed a lot to the two countries' peoples.  

China will continue to provide high-quality health services for residents near the China-Laos border and guard their health through online medical services, he said.

Syhavong agreed with Ma and spoke highly of health aid from China. He said Laos is willing to further health exchanges in many areas with China including human resources, hospital cooperation, traditional medicine and the prevention and control of infectious diseases.

With pragmatic cooperation people from the both sides will get benefits, added Syhavong.