Cross-border freight traffic on the China-Laos Railway saw continued growth in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting stronger trade ties between China and Laos, with significant year-on-year increases in both volume and value, according to Kunming Customs.
In the first three months of this year, import and export volume grew 9.2 percent to 1.508 million tons, with the value of goods transported rising 17.5 percent to 4.19 billion yuan (over 570 million U.S. dollars), the customs data shows.
The China-Laos Railway connects Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province with Vientiane, the capital of Laos. The 1,035-km railway, a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, started operation on Dec 3, 2021.
Since its opening, the China-Laos Railway has become a key trade conduit, with import and export volumes surpassing 12 million tons to date.
Cross-border freight traffic on China-Laos railway sees strong growth in Q1
Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday that the country is at a critical stage and must achieve national unity, emphasizing that maintaining internal cohesion is of utmost importance.
In a televised address, Rodriguez called on the public to continue trusting the government under the current highly complex political circumstances.
Her statement comes in the wake of a January 3 military operation conducted by the United States, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and flown out of the country.
The operation resulted in at least 100 fatalities.
Rodriguez, who was sworn in as acting president two days later on January 5, framed her appeal for unity against this backdrop of external intervention.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez denounced the U.S. actions as a "war crime of the 21st century" when speaking at an international cultural event on Sunday.
Nanez condemned not only the January 3 airstrikes but also the associated cyber and electromagnetic attacks.
He accused the United States of violating international law through the forced removal of President Maduro and his wife, while attacks on civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, represent a flagrant breach of humanitarian norms.
He reiterated that the stigmatization and military attacks against Venezuela are driven by economic interests, particularly the desire to control its abundant natural resources.
Venezuelan acting president calls for national unity amid complex situation
