Vientiane(Lao)

Vientiane(Lao)

[Overview] Vientiane is the capital city and the political, economic and transportation center of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The city sits in central Laos on a plain in the valley of the Mekong and on the northern bank of the middle reaches of the river, covering an area of 3,920 square kilometers and has a population of about 900,000.

[Politics] Vientiane is Laos' only municipality directly under the central government, and its mayor is appointed by the central government. Vientiane has 481 villages in nine districts under its jurisdiction. The incumbent Secretary of the Vientiane Municipal Committee of Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and Mayor of Vientiane, Sinlavong Khoutphaythoun, also member of the Political Bureau of LPRP Central Committee, took office in July 2014.

[Economy] As the national economic center, Vientiane has seen rapid industrial development in recent years and built multiple industrial parks, with more than 2,800 enterprises among which the most prominent ones are food processors. A large number of shopping centers and department stores have been built in the city and road infrastructure has been improving.

[Culture and Education] As the educational center of the Laos, Vientiane is home to several renowned universities such as the National University of Laos. Temples and pagodas are everywhere across the city. In addition to new ones, there are 34 ancient temples standing as valuable evidence of the long history and rich culture of the country. The most famous of these is Pha That Luang that situates five kilometers north of the city proper, which is a masterpiece that dates back to the time of the Kingdom of Lan Xang.

[Relations with Beijing] Beijing and Vientiane officially became sister cities on April 24, 2015. The two cities have had friendly exchanges and cooperation in such areas as political consultative conference and municipal administration. Relations between Organizations: In December 2017, the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Vientiane Front for National Construction signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation. City Administration: In October 2017, the Beijing-Vientiane sister-city water environment management workshop was held in Beijing. It helped promote Beijing's water-related technical services and infrastructure construction capabilities in foreign countries. In the past two years, the Vientiane Municipal Government has sent officials to participate in the Urban Planning Workshop organized by Beijing as a sister city program under the Belt and Road Initiative.

万象市（老挝）

【概况】万象市是老挝人民民主共和国首都，全国政治、经济、交通中心。位于老挝中部，湄公河中游北岸的河谷平原上。面积3920平方公里，人口约90万。

【政治】万象市是全国唯一的直辖市，市长由中央政府任命。万象市下辖9个区和481个乡村。现任市委书记兼市长老党中央政治局委员辛拉冯•库派吞于2014年7月就职。

【经济】万象市是老挝经济中心。近年来，工业发展迅速，建立多个工业园区，工业企业超过2800家，较有代表性的是食品加工企业。新建大量购物中心和商场，公路基础设施持续改善。

【文化教育】作为老挝教育中心，万象市拥有国立老挝大学等知名高校。市区到处可见庙宇和宝塔。除新建寺庙外，还保留着34座古寺庙，象征老挝宝贵的历史文化遗产。其中最著名的是位于市区北部5公里的塔銮，是澜沦时代文化的杰作。

【两市交往】2015年4月24日，北京市与万象市正式建立友好城市关系。两市在政协、市政管理等领域开展了友好交流与合作。政协交往：2017年12月，市政协与万象市建国阵线签署《北京市政协与万象市建国阵线合作谅解备忘录》。市政管理：2017年10月，北京－万象友好城市水环境管理技术人员培训班在京举办，推动我市水务技术服务和水务基础设施建设“走出去”。此外，近两年来，万象市政府均派员来京参加我市主办的“一带一路”友好城市市政管理培训班项目。

（Source: Foreign Affairs Office of Beijing Municipal Government）