VIENTIANE, April 16 (Vientiane Times/ANN): The first train (named Lane Xang) making a direct journey from Vientiane to Kunming in China on the Laos-China railway left the Lao capital last week.
The launch of the direct cross-border service took place in Vientiane and at the Boten border checkpoint in Luang Namtha province, attended by Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Suanesavanh Vignaket, deputy ministers and other guests.
Speaking at the ceremony, Suanesavanh said “Today's ceremony is an important historical event in the cooperation between the governments of Laos and China, which always encourage and help each other to bring strength and prosperity to their countries.
The first train to run between Vientiane and Kunming in China marks a great leap forward in the provision of transport links and the promotion of tourism, she said.
The Laos-China railway is a cooperation project that has the full support of the leaders of the two government and is a symbol of Laos-China friendship in the modern era.
The railway constitutes a strategic part of the Lao government’s plan to transform the landlocked country into a land link within the region, helping to fulfil the dreams and aspirations of the Lao people for greater regional integration.
This railway was built as part of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative instigated by China’s President Xi Jinping.
“Both our countries must continue to strive to achieve high-quality development and continuously upgrade our cooperation to take it to a higher level,” Suanesavanh said.
The aim of the Lao government is to turn the Laos-China railway into an economic corridor that generates substantial income for Laos, helping to ease the current woeful economic situation and bring more foreign tourists to the country.
The railway serves to raise the profile of Laos in the international arena, by integrating passenger transport services with those of neighbouring countries and strengthening Laos’ tourism links with countries in the region and beyond.
The vital transport link provided by the railway has the potential to place Laos at the centre of efforts to more closely link Asean countries to China.
Following the lifting of Covid-related travel restrictions, countries around the world have set programmes in motion to revive their economies, especially by promoting tourism, with a particular focus on visitors from China, who have the greatest purchasing power. - Vientiane Times/ANN
