The cross-border China-Laos Railway registered robust growth in both passenger and cargo throughput in 2024, official data show.
The China-Laos Railway handled 19.11 million passenger trips and transported 19.64 million tons of goods in 2024, up 15 percent and 10.5 percent respectively, according to the data released by China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Co., Ltd., which oversees operation of the China-Laos Railway.
In the year, the largest single-day passenger train trips handled by China-Laos Railway reached a record high of 98, with the number of passenger trips exceeding 100,000.
Currently, cross-border cargo transportation on the China-Laos Railway has covered all the 31 provincial-level regions in the Chinese mainland, as well as 19 other countries and regions, including Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore.
The 1,035-km railway, a flagship project within the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, connects China's southwestern city of Kunming with the Laotian capital of Vientiane. It started operation on Dec. 3, 2021.
China-Laos railway sees robust growth in passenger, freight throughput in 2024
Preparations of the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) are in full swing as most booths are being installed and exhibits are arriving via customs' fast clearance channel.
According to organizers, this year's expo, set to be held at the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center in south China from April 13 to 18, covers 143,000 square meters of exhibition space, an increase of 13,000 square meters from the previous edition. More than 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions across the world have been registered to participate in the exhibition, with international exhibits accounting for 65 percent of the total.
The booth materials and exhibits from both China and overseas are mainly arriving via Xinhai Harbour, with local customs authorities providing dedicated clearance channel and 24/7 appointment-based clearance service at key ports including Haikou Meilan International Airport and Yangpu Port.
Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth expo marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) fully launched island-wide special customs operations in December last year.
Preparations of China's 6th consumer products expo in full swing
