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Communication: The China-Laos Railway has injected surging momentum into the development of Laos

author:Xinhua
Communication: The China-Laos Railway has injected surging momentum into the development of Laos

This November 25 aerial photograph shows the Lancang EMU parked inside the Vientiane railway station in Laos. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Kai Qiao)

Vientiane, 29 Nov (Xinhua) -- The China-Laos Railway has injected surging momentum into the development of Laos

Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Jianhua

Chincho, a Laotian who came to Vientiane with his two children for medical treatment, is preparing to take the train back to Luang Prabang. "It used to take seven or eight hours to make a round trip, and it was tiring and time-consuming. The train ride is now convenient and comfortable, and the journey takes only two hours. Jing Qiao told reporters while waiting at Vientiane Railway Station a few days ago.

Since the opening of the China-Laos Railway for one year, the Chinese-made "Lancang" bullet train has been integrated into the daily life of local people in Laos, and has become the preferred mode of transportation for many locals. In the light and shadow of the tropical climate of Laos, the streamlined appearance of the "Lancang" EMU and the red, blue and white color scheme are particularly conspicuous.

Communication: The China-Laos Railway has injected surging momentum into the development of Laos

This is the Vientiane railway station in Laos in an aerial photo on November 25. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Kai Qiao)

Communication: The China-Laos Railway has injected surging momentum into the development of Laos

This November 25 aerial photograph shows the Lancang EMU driving on the Lao section of the China-Laos Railway outside Vientiane, Laos. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Kai Qiao)

Opened in December 2021, the China-Laos Railway is a docking project between the "Belt and Road" initiative and Laos' strategy of "transforming a land-locked country into a land-linked country", and it is also the first international railway invested and built by the Chinese side after the "Belt and Road" initiative was proposed, adopted Chinese technical standards, used Chinese equipment, and directly connected to China's railway network.

According to data from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos, tourists traveling from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, an important tourist city in northern Laos, prefer to travel by train "Lancang". In the first 10 months of 2022, 85.27% of the 336,000 tourists chose to travel to Luang Prabang by train.

Communication: The China-Laos Railway has injected surging momentum into the development of Laos

On November 25, passengers prepare to enter the Vientiane Railway Station in Laos to board. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Kai Qiao)

Virazai, a passenger duty officer at Vientiane Railway Station, said in an interview with reporters that the "Lancang" train of the China-Laos Railway is very advanced, making travel very fast. Taking the train not only makes it easy for Laotians to go to other provinces, but many foreigners from neighboring countries, especially tourists from Thailand, also take the train to Vang Vieng or Luang Prabang for tourism, which promotes tourism and economic development in towns along the Lao Railway.

Vientiane businessman Maicho is going to Luang Prabang for a tour. He said that Laos did not have modern trains before, but now our country has it, and we are very happy. The Lao soldier Vesai has already flown the "Lancang" three times, and what impressed him the most was the clean environment and thoughtful service in the carriage. He hopes that both Laotians and foreign tourists will come to ride the Lancang.

Communication: The China-Laos Railway has injected surging momentum into the development of Laos

This November 25 aerial photo shows the Lancang EMU exiting the Vientiane railway station in Laos. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Kai Qiao)

"Tickets are in high demand, and Laotian passengers and tourists from many neighboring countries, including Thailand, come to take the EMUs of the China-Laos Railway." Du Zhigang, operation director of Lao-China Railway Co., Ltd., said that since the opening of the China-Laos Railway one year ago, more than 2,000 passenger trains have been operated and 1.26 million passengers have been sent; More than 2,600 freight trains have been operated, sending nearly 2 million tons of goods, the vast majority of which are transit goods, and the freight volume has been on the rise.

Lao-China Railway Co., Ltd. is responsible for the operation of the Laos section of the China-Laos Railway. According to the company's data, the cargo transportation of China-Laos Railway covers more than 10 countries such as Laos and Vietnam that jointly build the "Belt and Road", and the types of goods have expanded from more than 100 kinds of fertilizers and department stores in the early stage to more than 1,200 kinds of electronics, photovoltaics, cold chain fruits and so on. From January to October this year, the export trade volume of the Laos Boten Port, which connects the railways between China and Laos, has reached US$1.024 billion, 1.8 times that of 2021. The China-Laos Railway is injecting surging momentum into the economic and social development of Laos.

After tasting the "sweetness" of safe, convenient, large transportation volume and all-weather transportation of the China-Laos Railway, many affiliated enterprises have rushed to station around Vientiane, Luang Prabang and other stations, and the vicinity of major stations has become a gathering place for business and people. According to data from Lao-China Railway Co., Ltd., driven by the China-Laos Railway, the output of iron ore, cassava flour and rubber in Laos has increased sharply. At the just-concluded 5th China International Import Expo, the China-Laos Railway Development Cooperation Promotion Conference was successfully held, and investment and procurement projects worth tens of billions of yuan were signed on site.

Before the completion of the China-Laos Railway, traffic bottlenecks have always been a major factor restricting Laos' economic development. Somma Penshena, vice president of the Lao National Assembly, said that the opening of the Laos-China Railway has provided new opportunities for the development of Laos, and people and enterprises everywhere have benefited from it, and the Laos-China Railway has driven the Lao economy to a new level.

Communication: The China-Laos Railway has injected surging momentum into the development of Laos

This November 25 aerial photograph shows the Lancang EMU driving on the Lao section of the China-Laos Railway outside Vientiane, Laos. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Kai Qiao)

Communication: The China-Laos Railway has injected surging momentum into the development of Laos

This November 25 aerial photograph shows the Lancang EMU driving on the Lao section of the China-Laos Railway outside Vientiane, Laos. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Kai Qiao)

Communication: The China-Laos Railway has injected surging momentum into the development of Laos

Passengers prepare for boarding at Vientiane Railway Station in Laos on November 25. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Kai Qiao)

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