China‑Laos Railway trade tops 90 billion yuan

The China‑Laos Railway has handled imports and exports worth 90.28 billion yuan (about 13.3 billion U.S. dollars) since opening in 2021, Kunming Customs said Thursday, as cited by China Central Television (CCTV).

Kunming Customs data show more than 22,000 international freight trains have run along the China‑Laos Railway since its launch. In the first half of this year, imports and exports via the line totaled 17.16 billion yuan (about 2.5 billion U.S. dollars), up 33.7 percent year on year.

The railway's role as a "golden corridor" for trade continues to strengthen, which has contributed to steadily improved regional connectivity and economic integration.

The China-Laos Railway, a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, began operations in December 2021. The 1,035-kilometer railway connects Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province with Vientiane in Laos.

China‑Laos Railway trade tops 90 billion yuan

A recent video captured at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) in southwest China's Sichuan Province showed the adorable scene of Yuchen drinking water.

In the video, Yuchen leisurely wanders through her spacious habit before making her way to a small pool. With a deliberate yet clumsy grace, she lowers her head to take a refreshing drink.

Born to mother Mei Mei and father Hua Bang on Aug. 18, 2017, Yuchen represents the ongoing success of China's panda breeding programs.

The CCRCGP has built the world's largest captive population of pandas and pioneered rewilding research through captive breeding and training. It also runs a global cooperation platform that links 18 zoos in 16 countries and regions with 39 domestic breeding institutions and more than 10 research institutes.

Rare footage shows giant panda cub drinking water leisurely in spacious habitat