Liang Guanglie, Chief of General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), met with visiting Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Douangchay Phichit on Wednesday.

Liang said that the friendship between China and Laos had further developed in recent years and bilateral cooperation in politics, economy, culture and military fields had also increased.

Phichit said that the Lao government attached great importance to relations with China and would like to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Phichit arrived in Beijing on March 19 at the invitation of Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan.

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2007)