General Manager of the Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd., Mr Liu Hong presents a gift of flowers to Ambassador Fang Hong.

Chinese envoy praises Laos-China Railway during visit ahead of New Year

China’s Ambassador to Laos has praised the Laos-China Railway’s significant contributions to enhancing connectivity and fostering economic relations between the two countries and beyond.
Ambassador Fang Hong made the renarks during a visit to the Vientiane Railway Station on January 14, ahead of the Chinese New Year, underscoring the importance of cultural and economic exchanges during this festive period, with the railway as an important booster.
Her visit also marked the recent recognition of the Chinese New Year as part of Humankind’s Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. 

Ms Fang extended best wishes to the staff of the Laos-China Railway Co Ltd on the occasion of the upcoming Chinese New Year and the recognition of the festival as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage.
During her visit, Ms Fang highly valued the vital role the railway has played and its achievements in strengthening people-to-people bonds, facilitating transport, and bolstering trade and investment.
Between the launch of operations in December 2021 until December 31, 2024, the Laos-China Railway, which connects the Lao capital of Vientiane with Kunming in China’s Yunnan province, has transported 11.155 million tonnes of cargo in the Lao section alone. A single-day highest record was 22,217 tonnes.
Passenger transport reached 7.818 million people during the same period. Notably, rail passenger transport during 2024 witnessed six single-day records, underscoring its growing popularity and travel demand. The current highest daily passenger record stands at 16,007 passengers.
Noting the remarkable records, Ms  Fang said they are the hard-won achievements that have been made possible due to the hard work and dedication by all staff of the Laos-China Railway Company. She added that this has made the railway “a route of well-being, development and friendship between the Lao and Chinese people”.   
The General Manager of the Laos-China Railway Co Ltd, Mr Liu Hong, thanked the Chinese Embassy in Laos for extending warm greetings to all the staff and briefed the Chinese Ambassador about the railway’s operations. 
The Laos-China Railway, a flagship cooperation project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, has transformed landlocked Laos into land link, connecting to regional and global supply chains and markets. As a gateway between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with Laos as an important logistics connector, the improved transport has bolstered trade, investment and tourism and created jobs, thus driving overall socio-economic development.
The Laos-China Railway Co Ltd alone has trained and employed a number of Lao professionals. So far, seven Lao nationals have worked with the company in executive positions, 19 as train technicians, and 14 as drivers, while many others are taking related courses with Chinese trainers and experts as part of a knowledge transfer campaign. This is an attempt to recruit more Lao professionals for the railway’s operations and to accelerate making the railway a project fully run by Lao nationals, Mr Liu said.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update January 17, 2025)