Kunming, December 12 (CNN) -- The second anniversary of the opening of the China-Laos Railway: the unimpeded flow of passengers and freight industry has burst out

Author: Miao Chao, Zhang Weiming

The China-Laos Railway, an important project for the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and Laos' strategy of "transforming a land-locked country into a land-linked country", was completed and opened to traffic on December 2021, 12, with a total length of 3,1035 kilometers from Kunming, China in the north to Vientiane, Laos in the south.

cross-border international passenger trains have been opened, and passengers have flocked to the city; International freight trains are getting denser and denser, and the coverage is constantly expanding; The towns along the route have taken advantage of the situation to exert force, and the industrial development is in the ascendant... On the second anniversary of the opening of the China-Laos Railway, people and goods have flowed smoothly, and industries have burst out, and the development of "acceleration" has exceeded expectations.

The picture shows that on December 12, Yunnan Province held the theme day of the second anniversary of the opening of the China-Laos Railway in Kunming and the opening ceremony of the Shanghai-Yunnan Lingang Kunming Science and Technology City. Photo by Chinanews reporter Liu Ranyang

People go their way

On April 4, the China-Laos Railway opened international passenger trains from Kunming South in China and Vientiane Station in Laos in both directions, making it possible to reach Kunming and Vientiane on the same day by train, making it more convenient for people to travel between the two countries. Eating small pot rice noodles in Kunming in the morning and Lao rice noodles in Vientiane in the evening has become a new tourist fashion.

"Taking the bullet train to Laos is very popular, and I have to organize a tour group to go to Laos every month, and I go there for a week." Du Tingting, who is engaged in tourism in Yunnan, said that tourism in Laos is now favored by Chinese tourists from Kunming, Beijing and Chengdu. Friends in Laos told her that the operation of international passenger trains has promoted the efficient flow of passengers, logistics and information, and the housing prices and fares in Vientiane, Laos have increased by about 20%.

Tidala, a 23-year-old Laotian girl, was born in Oudomxay province in northern Laos. In September this year, after graduating from Vietnam with a bachelor's degree, she enrolled as a middle school student at Mengla County Vocational High School in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, "Now in Laos, I know Chinese, it is easier to find a job, and the salary can be four times higher than that of ordinary people." ”

Mengla County borders Laos, and the China-Laos Railway makes Tidala's study abroad journey closer, "I can take the China-Laos Railway train every weekend, and I can go back to Oudomxay in three hours to spend the weekend with my family." ”

In China, after the opening of the China-Laos Railway, it only takes more than 3 hours to reach Xishuangbanna from Kunming, Yunnan Province, which greatly improves the travel experience of tourists.

During this year's Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, Xishuangbanna is full of popularity, and the tree-lined field is full of people, and the stalls built by bamboo fences are full of all kinds of Dai delicacies, which make people salivate.

The China-Laos Railway has been in operation for two years and has sent more than 2420.2046 million passengers, including <>.<> million passengers on the Chinese section. Li Qiang, director of the Xishuangbanna Prefecture Culture and Tourism Bureau, said, "The China-Laos Railway has not only played an active role in building a golden corridor between China and South Asia and Southeast Asia, but also the opening of international passenger trains has met the needs of cross-border travel and outbound tourism of Chinese and Laos passengers, and is of great significance to promoting the development of tourism and other industries in the two countries." ”

The picture shows that on December 12, the "China-Europe + Lancang-Mekong Express" China-Laos Railway international freight special train left China from Mohan Station of China-Laos Railway. Photo by Duan Zhuo

The flow of goods is unimpeded

Since April this year, as the freight volume continues to rise, the China-Laos Railway's "Lancang-Mekong Express" international freight trains have increased from three times a week to one per day, and to two times a day from late November. On October 4, the "Shanghai-Yunnan-Lancang-Mekong Line" international freight train departed at Kunming Wangjiaying West Container Center Station, rounding and returning to Vientiane-Kunming-Shanghai, Laos; On October 3, the China-Laos and China-Vietnam Railway International Cold Chain Freight Train officially launched in Yuxi, Yunnan...

At the same time, the pilot application of the new box type has improved the efficiency of customs clearance at the port, and the "railway express" mode has been implemented, and the customs clearance time of Mohan railway port has been reduced from more than 40 hours to 5 hours.

On the second anniversary of the opening of the China-Laos Railway, the cargo transportation exceeded 2910.600 million tons, of which cross-border cargo exceeded 10 million tons. The categories of goods have expanded from more than 2700 kinds of fertilizers and department stores in the early stage of opening to more than 31,12 kinds of electronics, photovoltaics, cold chain fruits, etc.; China's <> provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) have successively opened cross-border freight trains on the China-Laos Railway, covering <> countries that jointly build the "Belt and Road" such as Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar.

A special train full of Thai durian and mangosteen fruit cold chain departs from Vientiane South Station of China-Laos Railway, arrives at Kunming Wangjiaying West Container Center Station 26 hours later, and is transferred to China's major fruit markets after rapid distribution. Wang Xin, from Meishan, Sichuan, smelled a business opportunity, and this year is his third year in the wholesale business of durian and other imported fruits from Southeast Asia. ”

At the same time, the cold chain trains loaded with Yunnan broccoli, cabbage, pomegranate and other special fruits and vegetables continue to depart from Kunming and Yuxi, China, and will arrive in Vientiane, Laos in one day, realizing two-way re-entry and return transportation.

The enrichment and upgrading of China-Laos railway transport products reflect the development of import and export trade between China and ASEAN countries. Under the premise of efficient transit process, the China-Laos railway can reduce the transportation cost between Kunming and Vientiane by 40% to 50%.

The picture shows that on December 12, the Laos grain special train of the China-Laos Railway departed from Mohan Station. Photo by He Lupeng

The industry is bursting

The big channel drives the big logistics, the big logistics drives the big trade, and the big trade drives the big industry. The opening of the China-Laos Railway has endowed Kunming, Yuxi, Pu'er and Xishuangbanna with new development advantages along the line, attracted a large number of enterprises to settle in, and accelerated the implementation of industrial development projects.

In the Pu'er Simao Industrial Park, Yunnan Jinkelong Coffee Industry Co., Ltd. is constantly grading and packaging coffee products on the processing production lines of Yunnan Jinkelong Coffee Industry Co., Ltd., and selling them to all parts of China and South and Southeast Asia through the China-Laos Railway.

"Jinkelong's choice to land in Pu'er is because of the raw material advantages of Pu'er coffee's origin, and on the other hand, as an area along the China-Laos Railway, it provides convenience for the import of raw materials and the export of products." Shi Huazhong, deputy general manager of Yunnan Jinkelong Coffee Industry Co., Ltd., said.

As far as the eye can see, there are many industries along the China-Laos Railway. The abundant resource advantages of agriculture and forestry, biomedicine and other resources have been transformed into economic advantages, which have installed an "engine" for the development of industries along the route.

Xishuangbanna Health Products Park, adjacent to Wild Elephant Valley Station, is a key park, logistics hub and freight station along the China-Laos Railway. The park covers an area of 4.6 square kilometers and will become the main position of industrial development in Xishuangbanna.

The China-Laos Railway has also injected new impetus into the economic development of Laos and Southeast Asia. Lao Minister of Public Works and Transport Ambachan Mengmani said that the China-Laos Railway has integrated Laos into the Trans-Asian Railway network, realized sea-rail intermodal transportation, and further developed the international market. ”

On December 12, Yunnan Province held the theme day of the second anniversary of the opening of the China-Laos Railway and the opening ceremony of the Shanghai-Yunnan Lingang Kunming Science and Technology City in Kunming. The "China-Europe + Lancang-Mekong Express" China-Laos Railway International Freight Special Train was launched for the first time, the China-Laos Railway Laos Grain Special Train was launched, and the Shanghai-Yunnan Lingang Kunming Science and Technology City was officially unveiled.

Standing at a new starting point, relying on the China-Laos Railway and other major corridors for internal and external connectivity, Yunnan Province will accelerate industrial transfer and expand opening up, accelerate the construction of an international land-sea corridor facing the Indian Ocean, actively promote the construction of a radiation center facing South Asia and Southeast Asia, deepen east-west cooperation, promote the complementary advantages of Shanghai's and Yunnan's resource endowments, and make positive contributions to promoting regional prosperity and stability. (ENDS)