Since the opening of the China-Laos railway, the "Lancang" painted in red, white and blue has become a bright color in the life of the Lao people and the national economic development。The China-Laos railway has brought benefits to the two countries and peoples and injected strong impetus to regional prosperity, reflecting the deepening and solid cooperation between China and ASEAN under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative。
With the opening of the China-Laos Railway, Laos has ushered in its first modern railway, and the dream of transforming a land-locked country into a land-linked country has become a reality。Over the past year, this golden line has delivered the "report card" of prosperous passenger and cargo, sending a total of 8.5 million passengers and 11.2 million tons of cargo。
The Lao people have not only experienced the convenience of modern rail transport，Moreover, the China-Laos Railway has brought tangible benefits to enterprises' investment, tourism and employment: more and more Lao high-quality products are entering the Chinese market, more and more enterprises are investing in Laos, and more and more Lao young people are taking jobs on the China-Laos railway...General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and State President Thongloun said，The completion of the Laos-China Railway has played an important role in promoting the economic development of Laos。
The opening of China-Laos railway has a remarkable effect on enhancing regional economic and trade exchanges。The China-Laos Railway has been connected with the New Land-Sea Corridor in the West and the China-Europe Express, with goods shipped to more than 10 Belt and Road countries, including Laos, Thailand and Singapore。The variety of cargo has expanded from more than 100 kinds of fertilizer and general merchandise to 1,200 kinds of electronics, photovoltaics and cold chain fruits。The dividends of China's super-scale market and economic development are being continuously shared with regional countries through this railway。
In Nong Khai, a major trading town on Thailand's north-eastern border just across the river from the Lao capital, Vientiane, imports and exports in the first seven months of this year exceeded those of the whole of last year。Durians, coconuts and other fruits produced in Thailand were shipped to China through the China-Laos railway, making Thai officials lament that the cross-border railway "opens up a new era of Thai fruit export transportation."。
The railway has also attracted more Thai tourists to Laos.。The Thai people are looking forward to the early completion of the China-Thailand railway and the realization of the dream of traveling from Bangkok to Kunming by high-speed rail。Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said that the construction of Thailand-China railway will be accelerated and connected with the China-Laos railway to implement the development concept of China-Laos-Thailand connectivity。
The China-Laos railway provides a model for jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind。Under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, the first trial operation of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway in Indonesia was a complete success, the construction of the China-Thailand railway made steady progress, and the Golden Port Expressway in Cambodia was opened to traffic.A picture of regional connectivity is becoming clearer。Connectivity has brought more opportunities and increased the enthusiasm of countries in the region to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative。Recently, the heads of state of China and Indonesia spoke highly of the complementarity between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Maritime Fulcrum. China and Thailand signed a cooperation plan on jointly advancing the Belt and Road Initiative and issued a joint statement on building a more stable, prosperous and sustainable community with a shared future。Next year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. China will consider hosting the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to inject new impetus into development and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific and beyond。
At present, the COVID-19 pandemic is repeatedly delayed, and the world economic recovery faces various challenges. Unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, global industrial and supply chains are affected, and inflation, food security and energy security are complex and grave issues。Countries in the region cannot develop without achieving higher levels of connectivity。China will actively synergize the Belt and Road Initiative with the development strategies of other parties, jointly build a high-quality Asia-Pacific connectivity network, and make China-Asean cooperation deeper and more concrete。
The China-Laos railway has paved a road of development, happiness and friendship for the Chinese and Lao people。Under the demonstration effect of the China-Laos Railway, more countries are becoming more enthusiastic about participating in the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, and are constantly moving towards the building of a community with a shared future for mankind。
(Source: International Business Daily)