On December 3, 2021, bullet trains "Fuxing" and "Lane Xang" departed Kunming and Vientiane respectively at the same time to commence operations of the 1,035-km-long China-Laos Railway, the first railway jointly constructed by China and Laos according to Chinese standards. During early operation, the railway will dynamically adjust its operation plan according to the pandemic situation and demand for passenger and freight services. The railway's opening cuts the travel time between the two cities down to about 10 hours, including time for customs clearance at the border.
As a symbol of Belt and Road cooperation and China-Laos friendship, the railway will provide strong support for accelerating completion of the China-Laos Economic Corridor and construction of a China-Laos community with ashared future. The railway realizes the Lao dream to convert from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub and has great significance to the already close economic, social, cultural, and people-to-people cooperation and exchanges between China and Laos.
