Huaihua, January 6 (Fu Jingyi) At about 11 o'clock on January 6, with the roar of a whistle, a freight train full of 100,000 kilograms of Huaihua ice sugar oranges and agricultural machinery, construction machinery, tiles and other products produced in Hunan departed from China's Huaihua International Dry Port to Vientiane, Laos, marking the first launch of the China-Laos Railway (Huaihua-Vientiane) international freight train, opening up a new channel for Trade exchanges with ASEAN for Hunan and even the central region.
The China-Laos Railway (Huaihua-Vientiane) international freight train debuted. Photo by Fu Jingyi
Located in the center of the border areas of the five provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) of Hunan Province, Hubei, Chongqing, Qian, and Guizhou, Huaihua is an important node city on the eastern line of China's "New Land-Sea Corridor in the Western Region", one of the national logistics hub bearing cities, and the only ASEAN freight assembly center among the five major international freight centers in Hunan Province, with favorable conditions for "business connecting the world".
The construction of the "Huaihua-Vientiane" ASEAN international train corridor is an innovative move to promote the high-quality development of the open economy. The "Huaihua- Vientiane" international train departs from Huaihua, passes west through Guiyang, Liupanshui, Kunming, Yunnan and other cities, and then exits the customs port of Mohan in Yunnan and arrives in Vientiane via Moding, Laos, with a total distance of about 2098 kilometers and a transportation time of about 6 days.
100,000 kilograms of Huaihua rock sugar oranges were sent to Vientiane. Photo courtesy of Huaihua Propaganda Department
On 1 January 2022, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) came into force in 10 countries, with tax cuts between members. From Hunan to ASEAN via the China-Laos Railway, the transportation time can be compressed by two-thirds compared with the highway, the cost is lower, and the safety, reliability and economy are greatly improved.
Laos Ambassador to China Kanbao Ntawan said that Hunan will build Huaihua into an important link to realize the interconnection of the Lao-China railway and the new land-sea corridor, and the departure of the international freight train is a new highlight of the cooperation between Laos and Hunan in the field of economic and trade investment, laying a good foundation for the future cooperation areas of the two sides in new areas of cooperation such as industrial development zones, agricultural parks and logistics parks.
Lei Shaoye, secretary of the Huaihua Municipal Party Committee, said that Huaihua will actively seize the opportunity of RCEP, promote the construction of Huaihua International Dry Port, ASEAN Logistics Industrial Park and ASEAN Freight Assembly Center, improve the open platform, strengthen regional cooperation, and build Huaihua into an important channel and node city for Hunan and even the central region to connect with RCEP.
Machinery produced in Hunan boarded a freight train and was sent to Vientiane. Photo courtesy of Huaihua Propaganda Department
In recent years, Huaihua has actively served and integrated into the new development pattern, based on a national comprehensive transportation hub, vigorously developed an export-oriented economy, worked hard to promote the construction of a strategic gateway city for the new land-sea corridor in the western region, opened the first China-Europe train from Huaihua to Minsk, the Huaihua to Tehran Central Asian train, and the Huaihua to Beibu Gulf rail-sea intermodal train, and played a series of "combination fists" that cross mountains and seas and connect the world.
Huaihua, as the freight assembly center of Hunan docking ASEAN, the China-Laos Railway (Huaihua - Vientiane) international freight train has opened a golden channel that is deeply integrated into the RCEP "circle of friends" and quickly realizes the comprehensive, modern, high-quality and leapfrog development of the regional economy. In order to promote the normal operation of the China-Laos Railway (Huaihua - Vientiane) international freight trains, Huaihua will increase its collection efforts to attract surrounding cargo sources, and it is expected to run at a frequency of 2 trains per month in the early stage. (End)
Source: China News Network