Chinese artists perform at the Spring Festival show in Vientiane. Provided to China Daily

Yunnan has a long tradition in television cooperation with Laos, with companies in the province selling millions of set-top boxes for television signals, said Li. Pineprathana Phanthamaly, director general of the Mass Media Department of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos, said in a previous interview that China has assisted Laos's information and media personnel for a long time. Last year, China Central Television and China Radio International helped Laos upgrade its TV and radio systems.

Boun Jom, president of Laotian National Television, said around 6 million people are estimated to have watched the gala.