China and Laos have pledged to further strengthen overall cooperation and push their good-neighborly and friendly relations into a new phase, said a joint statement issued by the two countries yesterday.

The two sides have exchanged in-depth views and reached a consensus on a wide range of regional and international issues of common concern. They have also agreed to press the traditional friendship and overall cooperation between China and Laos into a fresh development stage, said the statement released here during Chinese President Hu Jintao's state visit to Laos.

In the statement, the two sides agreed that China and Laos shared strategic common interests over many major issues. Under the complicated and volatile international situation, enhancing and developing Sino-Lao relations and cooperation was not only in the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples, but also conducive to the peace and development of the region and the world at large.

According to the statement, the two sides will be committed to the principle of long-term stability, good neighborliness, mutual trust and comprehensive cooperation, and will increase exchanges of high-level visits, expand cooperation in many areas such as national security, education, health, sports and tourism.

Satisfied with the achievements made in trade and economic cooperation, the two countries would attach great importance to and deepen Sino-Lao economic and trade cooperation, the statement said. It also called for an expansion in the scale of cooperation and a further improvement in cooperative quality and levels.

In addition, the two sides signed a series of accords on technology, finance, medicine and health.

In the statement, Laos reiterated that there was but one China in the world and that Taiwan was an inalienable part of China.

Laos would continue to support the one-China policy, oppose all forms of "Taiwan Independence", including the so-called "de jure independence", and voice firm support for China's efforts to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Laos hoped to see China realize its national reunification sooner rather than later.

The two sides also expressed satisfaction over cooperation in handling international and regional affairs. They said they would strengthen coordination within the multilateral framework of China-ASEAN, East Asia and the United Nations and would remain dedicated to maintaining regional and world peace, stability and development.

Laos is the second leg of Hu's current four-nation Asia tour, which will also take him to India and Pakistan. He has already visited Vietnam during the tour.