Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with the country's delegation for the 17th Summer Paralympic Games at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday.
Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, congratulated the Paralympians on their outstanding performance at the Paris Paralympics, where China topped both the gold medal and overall medal tables.
He praised the athletes for their perseverance and determination, noting that their achievements not only brought sporting success but also gave the country a great sense of pride.
Li pointed out that sports competitions not only require physical strength and skills but, more importantly, willpower and spirit.
The exceptional achievements of the Chinese Paralympic delegation reflected the remarkable progress in the development of China's undertakings for people with disabilities and vividly showcased the strength, spirit and image of China in the new era, Li noted.
"The nation and its people are proud of you," he said.
Li encouraged the athletes to remain humble and continue striving for greater accomplishments.
He also called for more efforts from the whole society to advance causes that support people with disabilities, enhance social security system and support services for people with disabilities.
Chinese premier meets with Paris Summer Paralympic Games delegation
Chinese premier meets Paralympic delegation
The China-Laos Railway has become a major transport artery in Southeast Asia, cutting freight times, expanding passenger flows and linking regional economies.
The China-Laos Railway, a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, began operations in December 2021. The 1,035-kilometer railway connects Kunming, the capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, with Vientiane, the capital of Laos.
It has significantly enhanced regional connectivity, boosted regional economic growth, and facilitated people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
Passengers can now travel by rail all the way from Thailand to China, a journey that would have been difficult to imagine just a few years ago.
"I traveled up from Bangkok last night on the overnight train, and now I'm traveling up to Luang Prabang and then on to Kunming to explore Yunnan province. It's really easy to use the app and to book the trains, so so far so good. Everything seems to be working out," said an Australian passenger.
Jie Sen, a passenger service staff at Vientiane Railway Station, said the railway has become an important channel for cross-border travel.
"Passengers from more than 120 countries and regions have traveled on the railway. International trains between China and Laos now run four times a day, with the fastest trip from Kunming South to Vientiane taking just 9 hours and 36 minutes," he said.
"In terms of freight transport, cross-border shipping time has been reduced from five to seven days by road to just one to two days by rail. More than 3,800 categories of goods are now transported via the railway. Its logistics network reaches 19 countries and regions, including Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore," said He Xuqiang, head of Vientiane Railway Station.
China-Laos Railway becomes key regional transportation corridor
