As a Southeast Asian country, Laos has been in a long-term economic downturn. This is mainly due to the awkward geographical location of Laos, there is no seaport, and the domestic railway is only a short 35 km. Before the opening of the China-Laos railway, Laos' economic development barely improved, and the family's annual income was only 20 million kip, equivalent to 7,800 yuan, which is far from comparable to the monthly salary of office workers in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Laos** mainly travels in and out of China by plane and train, and survey data shows that only 16% of people are willing to travel between the two countries by train before 2023After the opening of the railway, the proportion increased to 61%. The speed, convenience and comfort of the train have made more and more Laotians choose the China-Laos Railway as a mode of travel.
The China-Laos Railway was completed and opened to traffic in 2021, and this 1,035-kilometer-long railway line connects Kunming, China and Vientiane, Laos, which not only realizes the efficient flow of passengers, logistics and information, but also brings new opportunities for exchanges between China and Laos. Since the opening of the China-Laos Railway, it has sent more than 24.2 million passengers, of which more than 20.46 million have come from ChinaMore than 29.1 million tons of goods were transported, and more than 6 million tons of cross-border goods were transported, involving more than 2,700 products such as electronics, photovoltaics, and cold-chain fruits. Especially for Lao fruit importers, the opening of the China-Laos Railway has halved the transportation cost and delivered the fruit to Kunming, China in just 4 days, ensuring the freshness of the fruit and greatly improving the business of the fruit trader.
The construction and opening of the China-Laos Railway is of great significance to both Laos and China. First of all, the construction of the China-Laos railway has freed Laos from the dilemma of being a land-locked country, so as to realize the best exchanges with the world. Countries that originally relied on strait ports for external transportation, such as Laos, which lack seaports, are limited by transportation costs and time. The opening of the China-Laos Railway allows Laos to directly export to all parts of the world through China's strait ports, becoming one of the most advanced countries in the strait.
Secondly, the China-Laos Railway is an important channel for China to expand the Southeast Asian market. China is interested in developing and winning the Southeast Asian market, and Laos is at the heart of Southeast Asia's Indochina Peninsula. Sea transport is easy to control, and the Strait of Malacca is a necessary place to pass through, and it is easy to be controlled by people. In addition to Laos, only Myanmar is left to choose from on the land route, and Laos obviously has an advantage. By helping Laos build the China-Laos Railway, it not only opened up the land transportation to win the Southeast Asian market, but also avoided the risk of being controlled.
Since the opening of the China-Laos Railway, Laos' economy, housing prices and people's income have shown a significant upward trend. Housing prices in Vientiane are rising, and many people's incomes have also increased significantly. The opening of the China-Laos railway has made the most frequent exchanges between Laos and China, and the tourism industry has also ushered in great opportunities. Through the China-Laos Railway, Laos has realized the transformation from a land-locked country to a land-linked country, and has become a member of the first country in the strait. At the same time, the freshness of Laotian fruits has been guaranteed, the transportation cost has also been greatly reduced, and the business of fruit merchants has become more prosperous.
All in all, the opening of the China-Laos railway has brought great economic changes to Laos. Laos has gone from being a poor country to one of the most inspirational countries in Southeast Asia. This is mainly due to the construction and opening of the China-Laos Railway, which has allowed Laos to get rid of the dilemma of being a land-locked country and realize the best exchanges with the world. The China-Laos Railway has opened the door to Laos, promoted the development of ** and tourism, and brought a lot of employment opportunities and economic growth. At the same time, the China-Laos Railway is also of great strategic significance to China, providing an important channel for China to expand the Southeast Asian market. It is foreseeable that with the further development of the China-Laos Railway, Laos' economy will usher in a greater boost, and China and Laos will achieve a win-win situation.