The China-Laos Railway, a flagship Belt and Road Initiative project, recorded a robust performance in January, with cross-border cargo and passenger traffic both achieving significant growth.
According to Kunming Customs in southwest China's Yunnan Province, the railway transported 478,000 tons of goods in January, marking a 7-percent increase compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, the number of cross-border passengers reached 29,000, representing a 63-percent year-on-year rise. Travelers from 112 countries and regions used the service, highlighting the railway's expanding reach.
Since its launch in 2021, the China-Laos Railway has transported over 43 million passengers and moved more than 48.3 million tons of cargo.
China-Laos Railway reports strong cross-border trade, travel growth in January
Foreign ministers from eight Arab and Islamic countries have condemned in the strongest terms recent "illegal" Israeli decisions and measures aimed at entrenching settlement activity and Israeli control in the West Bank.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia reaffirmed their position that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territory.
They warned against the continued "expansionist Israeli policies" and illegal measures pursued by the Israeli government in the occupied West Bank, voicing "absolute rejection of these illegal actions."
The ministers said Israeli measures constitute a blatant violation of international law and undermine the two-state solution, adding that such actions also undermine the ongoing efforts for peace and stability in the region.
The statement urged the international community to fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities to compel Israel to halt its dangerous escalation in the occupied West Bank.
On Sunday, Israel's security cabinet approved several decisions aimed at altering the legal and civil status of the West Bank and strengthening Israeli control over the territory.
Among the controversial measures approved, the cabinet decided to repeal a law banning land sales to Jews, to remove the requirement for special transaction permits, and to revive a state land acquisition committee that had been inactive for about two decades.
Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East War. The settlements it has built there and its ongoing military occupation are widely regarded as illegal under international law.
Palestinian officials have repeatedly warned that measures expanding settlements and extending Israeli civilian authority in the West Bank undermine prospects for establishing an independent Palestinian state.
Arab, Islamic countries condemn Israeli measures to deepen control in West Bank
