On Oct 8, the Shanghai-Kunming Lancang-Mekong international freight service was put into operation.
Departing from Shanghai, the train passes through Kunming and passes through Mohan Port to reach Vientiane, Laos.
Since its opening, the China-Laos Railway, as a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, has witnessed the smooth transportation of people and goods. It has laid a solid foundation for the friendship and joint development of the people in China and Laos.
As of Oct 3, in the 22 months since the start of operations of the China-Laos Railway, it has transported a total of 26.8 million tons of goods, covering 12 Belt and Road countries, including Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
Shanghai, as the leading and driving force of domestic economy, had a total import and export volume of 566.01 billion yuan (about $77.52 billion) with ASEAN countries in 2022, seeing a growth rate of 5.2 percent. At the same time, Yunnan, as it develops into a radiating center for South Asia and Southeast Asia, has obvious geographical advantages with both internal and external connections. Under this circumstance, the launch of the Shanghai-Kunming Lancang-Mekong international freight service will bring new development opportunities for China, Laos, and neighboring ASEAN countries.
In addition to effectively connecting the logistics between China's eastern coastal areas and countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia, the Shanghai-Kunming Lancang-Mekong international freight service will also facilitate the empowerment of "Shanghai enterprises + Yunnan resources", "Shanghai R&D + Yunnan manufacturing", "Shanghai market + Yunnan products", and "Shanghai headquarters + Yunnan base", exploring a new path for regional coordinated development.
