China and Laos are ready to further strengthen bilateral ties and deliver more tangible benefits to the peoples of the two countries, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning at a press briefing in Beijing on Monday.
Mao made the remarks in response to a media query about Lao Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane's official visit to China from March 12 to 15.
"This will be Lao Foreign Minister Thongsavanh's first visit to China since he assumed the office and he is also the first foreign minister to visit China after China's 'two sessions.' This embodies the great importance both sides attach to China-Laos relations. During his visit, Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold talks with Foreign Minister Thongsavanh and exchange views on implementing the consensus reached between the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, and strengthening bilateral and multilateral strategic coordination," Mao said.
"China hopes that this visit will help deepen and solidify the building of China-Laos community with a shared future, deliver tangible benefits to the peoples of the two countries, and contribute to the world and regional peace, stability and development," she said.
China, Laos to strengthen bilateral ties: spokeswoman
At precisely 07:15 each morning, veteran meteorologist Tsering Dekyi launches a weather balloon from Lhasa Meteorological Station, continuing a ritual that has documented the remarkable transformation of the capital city of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region over half a century.
For 26 years, Dekyi has maintained this precision-critical routine where even a one-second delay constitutes a professional failure.
"Attention to details is vital. The tiniest error can cause disaster. A mistake of just 0.1 in the data input can have a major impact," she said.
As the balloon rises into sky, it captures atmospheric readings while revealing panoramic views of Lhasa's evolving skyline, where ancient temples now neighbor modern infrastructure.
The daily launches, conducted at optimal atmospheric conditions, showcase how this ancient city harmonizes heritage with development. Through the lens of balloon-mounted cameras, prayer-flag adorned rooftops give way to sprawling new residential districts and the gleaming Lhasa-Nyingchi railway terminus.
Meteorological balloons have risen from this station since the 1970s, their flight paths unintentionally chronicling urban expansion. Where observers once saw mostly farmland, they now document a regional hub with highways radiating across the plateau and solar farms powering growth.
As Dekyi watches another balloon shrink to a dot, its sensors will transmit real-time updates about the rarefied air above one of Asia's fastest-transforming cities, where tradition and progress share the same horizon.
Weather balloons witness Lhasa's remarkable transformation
