VIENTIANE — The handover and inauguration ceremony of the China-aided COVID-19 nucleic acid test laboratory was held in the Lao capital Vientiane on Friday.

Southwest China's Yunnan province, bordering Laos, undertook the task to build the laboratory, and has sent a medical team to Vientiane to install the equipment and train local technical staff.

The laboratory with the latest technology and advanced facilities will improve the country's nucleic acid testing capacity by over 1,000 people per day.

At the ceremony, Xiang Fangqiang, counselor of the Chinese embassy in Laos, spoke highly of the achievements of China-Laos epidemic prevention and control cooperation.

Based on the spirits of a community with a shared future, the Chinese side will boost the China-Laos cooperation in pandemic prevention and control, promote bilateral cooperation in the post-pandemic resumption of work and production, and protect the lives and health of the two peoples, Xiang said.

Lao Deputy Health Minister Khamphone Phouthavong said the Lao people are grateful for China's valuable assistance in building the laboratory and the technical training to effectively enhance Laos' ability to fight against the COVID-19.

The Lao side will make full use of the laboratory and contribute to the jointly fight against the epidemic, he said.