A float featuring a bullet train of the China-Laos Railway made its appearance during the grand parade celebrating the Lao national day in Vientiane on Tuesday, or December 2, the date marking the railway's fourth anniversary of operation.
The float was modeled on the "Lancang" bullet train manufactured by China's CRRC Corporation as the primary train serving the Lao section of the railway, which is able to reach a speed up to 160 kilometers per hour.
Over the past four years, China State Railway Group (China Railway) and Lao railway authorities have collaborated closely to enhance high-level connectivity between China and ASEAN, with sustained growth in traffic and significantly improved service quality.
As of the anniversary date, the railway had handled over 62.5 million passenger trips, not only injecting new vitality to the society, but also bringing great convenience to locals.
"[Back then], each ride back home was very difficult because it took several hours to travel by bus, and the arrival of the Chinese train made the journey much more convenient, taking only two hours," said Nithida, a resident.
As for cargo transportation, the China-Laos Railway has handled over 72.5 million tons of goods over the past for four years, with the types of goods expanding to more than 3,800.
Shipping costs for freight from Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province to Thailand through Laos have fallen by 30 percent to 50 percent, and domestic transport costs within Laos have dropped by 20 percent to 40 percent, making the line an important "new engine" for regional economic growth.
"Since the railway opened, it has been convenient and fast. The railway is almost unaffected by weather. Time is cut in half, and costs are reduced by about 50 percent," said Wang Lijun, head of a logistics company in Laos.
The railway has also fueled a tourism boom. Railway authorities in China and Laos have cooperated with tourism departments in both countries to leverage the visa-free transit policy and advance an integrated development model featuring railway, culture and tourism. Several cross-border tour routes have been launched between Kunming and Vientiane.
So far, around 640,000 tourists from more than 120 countries and regions, including Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, the United States and the United Kingdom, have traveled on cross-border international passenger trains along the route.
China-Laos Railway 'train float' debuts at Lao national day parade
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that mediation efforts of the Pakistani side regarding the Middle East tensions are in the common interests of all parties.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in his talks with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Beijing.
During their talks, the two sides exchanged views on current international issues and regional conflicts.
Wang welcomed the visit of the Pakistani side to Beijing for discussion on easing tensions in the Middle East, just after its holding of a quadrilateral foreign ministers' meeting in Islamabad.
He said China supports and looks forward to Pakistan playing a unique and important role in easing the situation and resuming peace talks. This process is no easy task, and Pakistan's mediation efforts are in line with the common interests of all parties, Wang added.
He noted China is willing to make joint efforts with Pakistan to end the hostilities as soon as possible, create opportunities for peace and open the window for peace talks.
On bilateral ties, Wang said this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, calling on both sides to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and constantly advance the building of a China-Pakistan community with a shared future.
For his part, Dar said the Pakistan-China friendship is precious and deeply rooted in people's hearts, adding that Pakistan is willing to work with China to promote the continuous development of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.
Dar thanked China for supporting Pakistan's mediation of the situation in Iran, adding that the current conflict has disrupted international energy supplies and caused heavy damage to developing countries.
Noting that solutions can only be found through negotiation, Dar said Pakistan is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China to push all parties to start peace talks as soon as possible and restore regional peace.
The two sides also put forward a five-point initiative for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East region:
I. Immediate cessation of hostilities: China and Pakistan call for immediate cessation of hostilities and utmost efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading. Humanitarian assistance must be allowed to all war-affected areas.
II. Start of peace talks as soon as possible. Sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and security of Iran and the Gulf states should be safeguarded. Dialogue and diplomacy is the only viable option to resolve conflicts. China and Pakistan support the relevant parties in initiating talks, with all parties committing to peaceful resolution of disputes, and refraining from the use or the threat of use of force during peace talks.
III. Security of nonmilitary targets. The principle of protecting civilians in military conflict should be observed. China and Pakistan call on parties to the conflict to immediately stop attacks on civilians and nonmilitary targets, and fully adhere to International Humanitarian Law, and stop attacking important infrastructure, including energy, desalination and power facilities, and peaceful nuclear infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants.
IV. Security of shipping lanes. The Strait of Hormuz, together with its adjacent waters, is an important global shipping route for goods and energy. China and Pakistan call on the parties to protect the security of ships and crew members stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, allow the early and safe passage of civilian and commercial ships, and restore normal passage through the Strait as soon as possible.
V. Primacy of the United Nations Charter. China and Pakistan call for efforts to practice true multilateralism, to jointly strengthen the primacy of the United Nations, and to support the conclusion of an agreement for establishing a comprehensive peace framework and realizing lasting peace based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law.
Pakistan's mediation efforts in common interests of all parties: Chinese FM
Pakistan's mediation efforts in common interests of all parties: Chinese FM
