(KPL) Chinese journalists from Guizhou Daily conducted a media tour in Laos last month to promote Laos-China railway, the flagship project of China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
This interview was supported by Kweichow Moutai Group and assisted by Kunming Lancang-Mekong Observation Consulting Co., LTD.
One week of working in Laos, they interviewed senior officials of Lao National Railway and technical staff who work at the Laos-China railway in Luang Namtha, Oudomxay, Luang Prabang, and Vientiane, to promote understanding of the Laos-China railway among local people.
“The Laos-China Railway is a docking project between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Laos' strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub,” said Mr. Vongthong Suphanthong, Deputy Chief Engineer of the Laos-China Railway Company and also the Deputy Chief Manager of the Lao National Railway.
Moreover, the Laos-China Railway is a development cooperation project and boosts cultural exchange between the two countries, Mr. Vongthong added.
The Laos-China Railway links Vientiane, Laos with Kunming, the capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province.
“During the construction of the Laos-China railway, the railway provided a lot of employment opportunities to local people, training local workers, and technology exchange and management experience,” Mr Vongthong told Chinese media.
“Since its operation in December 2021 to December 2023, transportation of passengers on the Laos-China railway has reached more than 3.7 million, an average of over 5,100 passengers/day and a record of over 10,700 passengers/day,” said Mr Vongthong.
At the same time, transportation of goods has reached more than six million tons, an average of 8,251 tons/day and a maximum of 16,306 tons/day.
The main types of goods include: fruits, cassava flour, barley, rubber, beer, iron ore, concentrated iron ore, and chemical fertilizers. Over 963,000 tons of goods have been sent from China to Laos and more than five million tons of goods have been sent from Laos to China.
He said that the railway also boosts the development of related sectors, such as transportation, logistics, tourism, etc., encourages local workers, and facilitates people-to-people exchanges between Laos and China and between China and other ASEAN countries. It has become a convenient transportation route for both domestic and foreign tourists, encouraging the development of tourism, and the exchange of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. This has created favorable conditions for cooperation and exchange in many fields such as politics, economy, and culture.
“The project also trained local workers, promoted technology and know-how transfer, and encouraged the development of related sectors such as transportation, logistics, tourism, and others,” added Mr Vongthong.
