VIENTIANE, April 17 (Xinhua) -- A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed here Tuesday between China and Laos on medicinal plants research cooperation, the Chinese embassy in Laos said.

The agreement was signed by Huang Luqi, executive vice president of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, and Gosorn Sorsulithane, vice president of Traditional Medicine Research Institute under Lao Public Health Ministry, the embassy told Xinhua.

According to the MoU, China and Laos will carry out a medicinal resource census in Laos, in order to fully tap the economic and medicinal values of Laos' special botanical resources. The two sides will also compile "Flora of Laos."

The two sides will jointly set up a traditional medicine research center, which will carry out comparative studies of Chinese and Lao medicinal plants, train Lao medicinal plant resources researchers, and effectively improve medicinal plant resources exploration and application in Laos.

At the signing ceremony, Lao Health Minister Bounkong Sihavong expressed the belief that Laos-China cooperation on traditional medicine will help Laos to uphold its traditional medicine and enhance medical service for Lao people.

For his part, Huang Luqi said the signing of the MoU is a specific demonstration that traditional Chinese medicine is contributing to the Belt and Road Initiative, and will greatly promote traditional medicine cooperation between China and Laos.