President Thongloun Sisoulith and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping launched via a video link the newly built Laos-China Railway this afternoon.
The event in Vientiane was also attended by Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh, Vice President Pany Yathortou, other senior officials of Laos and China, the diplomatic corps, and representative of international organisations.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh joined Buddhist monks and Vientiane residents in a Beuk Sokxayamoungkoun ceremony to bring good luck to the railway, built at a cost of US$5.98 billion.
The successful development of the multi-billion-dollar project resulted from the synergy of China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Laos’ strategy of turning itself from a land-locked country to a land-linked one.
Initially, 18 train trips will be operated a day with four trips for passenger and 14 for cargo transport.
Stretching over 426 km from Vientiane to the Chinese border, the railway is expected to cut the cost of transport by 30-40 per cent compared to travel by road, thus creating favourable conditions for trade, investment and tourism.
Source: Lao News Agency