China-Laos Railway to become artery for global trade

The China-Laos Railway, ready to open for traffic in early December, will significantly shorten the transport time of goods and promote bilateral trade, experts said.

At the Kunming center of China United International Rail Containers Co Ltd in Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, workers are busy loading cargo which will be transported overseas. The center, a major international logistics base in Yunnan, can store 20,000 twenty-foot equivalent units at a time for international exchanges.

"Before, cargo for import and export between Yunnan and Southeast Asian countries rely on land and land-sea transport. It takes two to three days by land, and 15 to 20 days by land-sea channels," said Xu Chao, deputy general manager of the container center of Kunming Railway. The time will be cut to about 30 hours after the China-Laos Railway opens, which will greatly reduce cost and improve efficiency, he said.

The railway is expected to be a new channel for China to trade with other countries and to promote the Belt and Road Initiative.