The China-Laos Railway has seen more than 60 million passenger trips since its launch nearly four years ago, carrying 595,000 cross-border travelers from 115 countries and regions as of Wednesday, China Railway Kunming Group announced.
To meet growing demand, this railway service added a second pair of international trains between Kunming City, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, and Vientiane in Laos this July, doubling the number of daily trains to four. The service has promoted regional connections and social and economic development along the railway lines.
Service enhancements include dedicated ticketing windows, support for foreign payment methods, and optimized cross-border booking systems.
Passenger volume this year has reached 15.48 million to date, marking a 2.38 percent year-on-year increase, which reflects the railway's important role in regional connectivity.
The China-Laos Railway officially opened in December 2021 and launched international services linking Kunming and Vientiane in April 2023.
China-Laos Railway handles over 60 mln passenger trips since its launch
China's 15th Five-Year Plan proposal sends a strong signal of the country's commitment to upholding openness and cooperation, which will promote further development for the country and the world, said officials and scholars around the world.
The draft 15th Five-Year Plan, the blueprint that will guide the world's second-largest economy from 2026 to 2030, is central to steer China to move toward modernization amid technological disruption, demographic shifts and an increasingly fractured global order, according to the scholars.
"China's 15th Five-Year Plan is not a rigid model; it is more like benchmarks for growth targets and focal points. Chinese economists and economic decision-makers are not just focusing on qualitative growth, but also on innovative development. We're witnessing new transportation methods, robotics and artificial intelligence," said Andrey Denisov, first deputy chair of Russia's Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs and former Russian Ambassador to China.
"The 15th Five-Year Plan is of great importance to China's development. The country is poised to make remarkable advancements in various sectors, including artificial intelligence, high-end manufacturing and infrastructure construction. Given the shifting global context and China's transition towards high-quality development, I am confident that this plan will herald a new era for China's development," said Kamel Mansari, news director of the French-language daily Le Jeune Independent.
Scholars also noted that China's commitment to high-quality development and high-level opening-up will promote win-win results and benefit the world.
"China has emerged as a key partner for most countries worldwide, and a preferred partner due to its closeness and integration with global communities, as well as its strong humanitarian perspective. The Chinese economy has not only benefited itself; it has helped many economies worldwide flourish through its partnerships," said Dirgham Muhammad Ali, an Iraqi economic expert.
China's National People's Congress (NPC) is scheduled to open in Beijing on Wednesday, with lawmakers set to approve the 15th Five-Year Plan.
15th Five-Year Plan to guide China's development, benefit world: scholars
