中老鐵路是“一帶一路”倡議提出后，首條以中方為主投資建設(shè)、與中國鐵路網(wǎng)直接聯(lián)通的國際鐵路，是“一帶一路”的標(biāo)志性工程，體現(xiàn)了“一帶一路”的核心思想——讓大陸尋找海洋，幫助沿線國家實現(xiàn)陸海聯(lián)通。中老鐵路讓老撾從“陸鎖國”變?yōu)椤瓣懧?lián)國”，徹底改變了老撾在海洋性全球化世界格局中的國家命運(yùn)。

中老鐵路的順利開通，體現(xiàn)了“一帶一路”建設(shè)的三大效應(yīng)。其一，“一帶一路”對推動中國改革開放，尤其邊疆、沿海、沿江地區(qū)的向外開放，促進(jìn)高質(zhì)量發(fā)展，加強(qiáng)國際陸海大通道、城市群建設(shè)等起到重要作用。中老鐵路將大大提升昆明面向東南亞的對外開放水平。其二，“一帶一路”讓中國和周邊鄰國結(jié)成更加緊密的命運(yùn)共同體，加強(qiáng)與世界其他國家的交流合作。老撾作為經(jīng)濟(jì)欠發(fā)達(dá)的“陸鎖國”，如今不僅通上鐵路，而且開始實現(xiàn)電氣化和5G 信息通訊，“彎道超車”成為可能。其三，中老鐵路對落實泛亞鐵路構(gòu)想，實現(xiàn)中國與東南亞國家鐵路互聯(lián)互通和更大范圍的陸海聯(lián)通起到重要示范作用，也為全球范圍內(nèi)“一帶一路”高質(zhì)量建設(shè)提供樣板。

老撾是一個“陸鎖國”，山地高原廣布，沒有出?？?。長期以來，地理環(huán)境、交通基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施等因素嚴(yán)重制約了老撾?yún)⑴c全球化的能力。對老撾而言，中老鐵路的開通，將極大提升老撾基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施水平，為老撾發(fā)展注入強(qiáng)勁動力，幫助老撾發(fā)揮經(jīng)濟(jì)增長潛力，加快擺脫貧困，實現(xiàn)可持續(xù)發(fā)展目標(biāo)。與此同時，中老鐵路有利于老撾吸引國際投資者和游客，讓老撾企業(yè)和普通民眾更好地融入地區(qū)及全球供應(yīng)鏈，享受地區(qū)一體化發(fā)展紅利。

中老鐵路是兩國領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人高度重視、親自推動的重要項目，全線采用中國技術(shù)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)、使用中國設(shè)備，實現(xiàn)高質(zhì)量建設(shè)，是廉潔絲綢之路的試點項目。在疫情背景下，中老鐵路能夠如期建成通車，中國建設(shè)者在抗擊疫情和履行項目能力方面取得重大成就，體現(xiàn)出“一帶一路”建設(shè)在各種風(fēng)險挑戰(zhàn)下扎實有效推進(jìn)的巨大能力。作為“一帶一路”沉甸甸、實打?qū)嵉某删椭?，中老鐵路體現(xiàn)了“一帶一路”是實實在在的國際公共產(chǎn)品，是切實推動中國與沿線國家共同發(fā)展的合作平臺，可以給沿線國家人民帶來幸福感、獲得感，滿足沿線國家的現(xiàn)實發(fā)展需求。

中老鐵路順利開通有利于促進(jìn)中老兩國高度政治互信，夯實雙邊高水平合作基礎(chǔ)，深化兩國經(jīng)濟(jì)合作，有力推動中老經(jīng)濟(jì)走廊建設(shè)，加強(qiáng)兩國民心相通。中老鐵路是中國與東南亞跨國鐵路網(wǎng)絡(luò)的重要組成部分，作為“一帶一路”硬聯(lián)通的重要組成部分，中老鐵路將極大促進(jìn)中國與東盟國家的互聯(lián)互通和經(jīng)濟(jì)一體化。

北起中國云南省會昆明市，南至老撾首都萬象市，全長1035 公里的中老鐵路在多年工程攻關(guān)和翻山越嶺的建設(shè)后終于“走到一起”。

老撾是中南半島北部唯一的內(nèi)陸國家，北鄰中國，南接柬埔寨，東接越南，西北達(dá)緬甸，西南毗連泰國。隨著中老鐵路的開通，老撾有望轉(zhuǎn)地理劣勢為優(yōu)勢，由“陸鎖國”變?yōu)椤瓣懧?lián)國”，成為聯(lián)通各國的陸上交通樞紐。

于中國而言，這條翻山越嶺、來之不易的交通線亦具有重要意義。

中老鐵路的開通有助于改善中國西南“老少邊窮地區(qū)”的交通現(xiàn)狀，給當(dāng)?shù)貛斫?jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展機(jī)遇之際，還給老百姓提供了與外界聯(lián)通開闊眼界的機(jī)會。

中老鐵路通車，是共建“一帶一路”的重大合作成果。它不僅夯實了中老命運(yùn)共同體，將兩國友好關(guān)系和經(jīng)貿(mào)合作帶入了具有里程碑意義的新階段，還對深化中國與東盟睦鄰友好合作，推進(jìn)瀾滄江—湄公河次區(qū)域合作，為東盟經(jīng)濟(jì)共同體建設(shè)作出了積極貢獻(xiàn)。

中老鐵路是互聯(lián)互通的新發(fā)展，為區(qū)域國家抓住RCEP 市場開放帶來的機(jī)遇提供了便利，為打造中國—東盟自由貿(mào)易區(qū)3.0 版構(gòu)建了有利條件，還對在世界范圍內(nèi)共建“一帶一路”具有示范作用。

經(jīng)過八年時間，“一帶一路”以“六廊六路多國多港”互聯(lián)互通的格局已基本形成。中老鐵路等一批重大基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施項目建設(shè)提高了中國與沿線國家的聯(lián)通水平，不僅能促進(jìn)當(dāng)?shù)亟?jīng)濟(jì)社會發(fā)展，還有利于改善當(dāng)?shù)嘏c世界經(jīng)濟(jì)的聯(lián)系，融入國際分工，發(fā)揮區(qū)域的要素稟賦優(yōu)勢，讓更多國家享受到全球化紅利。

西雙版納獨具特色的熱帶雨林和豐富多彩的民族文化吸引了世界的眼球，早在1994年磨憨公路口岸就開始了對第三國人員開放，2008年昆曼公路通車后，磨憨公路口岸出入境人次位居云南口岸前列，從磨憨口岸出入的第三國人員數(shù)量增長較快。2019年西雙版納接待國內(nèi)外游客4853.21萬人次。在2021年9月24日召開的西雙版納傣族自治州第九次黨代表大會上，西雙版納明確了“世界旅游名城、沿邊開放試驗區(qū)、民族團(tuán)結(jié)示范區(qū)”的奮斗目標(biāo)。目前，美麗的西雙版納正努力為海內(nèi)外游客奉上一個具有熱帶雨林特色的世界級旅游勝地。中老鐵路在西雙版納州設(shè)有野象谷站、西雙版納站、橄欖壩站、勐臘站、磨憨站5 個車站，其中磨憨站是客貨兩用車站。中老鐵路開通后，昆明到西雙版納只需3 小時，西雙版納州綜合交通由水、陸、空三維轉(zhuǎn)化為水、陸、空、鐵“四輪驅(qū)動”的立體綜合交通網(wǎng)絡(luò)，極大地便利了國內(nèi)外游客赴西雙版納旅游。

后疫情時代，中國與老撾攜手共建跨境旅游合作區(qū)，通過中老鐵路將赴老撾旅游的東盟各國、日本、韓國以及歐洲、美國游客吸引到西雙版納旅游。同時，升級改造現(xiàn)有的磨憨、磨丁免稅店，進(jìn)一步發(fā)揮免稅旅游購物的作用，擴(kuò)大游客購物的種類、提高游客購物的檔次，促進(jìn)游客人均消費的增加，通過免稅購物，帶動西雙版經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展，助力其打造“世界旅游名城”。

The China-Laos Railway was inaugurated on December 3,with President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao president, watching the opening ceremony via video link, and congratulating each other on the success of the project.

As a major Sino-Lao cooperation project, the China-Laos Railway is an important part of the pan-Asian railway network and will not only benefit the two peoples, but also significantly improve regional connectivity.

Till the opening of the new railway line, Laos only had a 3.5-kilometer narrow gauge railway linking the capital Vientiane to the border with Thailand.In fact, backward infrastructure and inadequate connectivity have restricted Laos’ economic and social development, and prevented the country from capitalizing on its geographical advantages.

It has long been a dream of the Lao people to see their country change from a land-locked to a “l(fā)and-linked country”,and the opening of the new railway is a big step toward turning their dream into reality.

The new railway will upgrade Laos’ infrastructure, reduce its transportation costs, boost its tourism, logistics and agricultural processing industries, enhance its self-development capacity, and help it more expeditiously alleviate poverty.It will also enable Lao businesses to better integrate into regional and global supply chains, and enjoy the benefits of such integration.

Also, the opening of the China-Laos Railway will thus help accelerate the development of the China-Laos Economic Corridor as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, and further advance the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future.

Besides, the economies of the two countries are complementary.With its superior natural resources and rapid economic development, Laos is at a crucial stage of industrialization, while China has rich experience and advantages in the use of capital and technologies, and is adept at building and developing infrastructure.As such, the new railway will deepen cooperation between the two sides on traffic,production capacity, power generation, mining, agriculture,tourism, the digital economy, people’s livelihoods, poverty alleviation, education and culture.

Also, the China-Laos Railway will play a key role in improving connectivity between the countries in the region.As Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh said: “The Laos-China Railway will become an important driving force for Laos-China and ASEANChina cooperation in the economic, trade, investment, tourism,employment and cultural fields as well as personnel exchanges.”

The new railway also marks a major step toward building a comprehensive pan-Asian railway network and could inspire other countries to add to and improve the network to ensure better connectivity.For instance, the China-Laos Railway will increase freight train services between Nong Khai in Thailand and Laos to 24 round trips a day in the next five years, according to Thailand’s National Railway Authority.

In short, the new railway will boost connectivity and trade between not only China and Laos but also China and other ASEAN member states, as well as within ASEAN.

The China-Laos Railway is another example of the friendly cooperation between China and other countries under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and is bound to become a path to prosperity, facilitating communication and exchanges between the two countries.

The 1,035-km cross-border railway links southwest China’s Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, with the Laotian capital of Vientiane, cutting the travel time between the two cities to about 10 hours.

Honoring the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, China has been expanding the scope of cooperation with Laos under the BRI over the years.

In 2017, the two countries inked several documents on cooperation projects such as infrastructure development and the construction of China-Laos Economic Corridor.The railway has thus become a signature project of the two countries’ joint efforts in building the Belt and Road.

A 2020 World Bank report has projected that, with the completion of the railway, a total of 3.7 million tonnes of freight between China and Laos could be transported on trains by 2030,as against the land-based bilateral trade volume of 1.2 million tonnes registered in 2016.

It also noted that the railway has the potential to increase Laos’ aggregate income by up to 21 percent in the long term.

“The Lao people are proud of and excited by the railway,”said Daovone Phachanthavong, the vice executive president of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The railway promises bright prospects for Laos.When the railway comes into full service, it will drastically cut the cost of transportation in the country, boost trade and investment, and attract more visitors.The price of imported goods is expected to fall as a result.

Finishing the construction phase of a project is never the end of the story.As Chinese ambassador to Laos Jiang Zaidong has said, both China and Laos will “continue to bring more visible and tangible benefits to the people, to demonstrate the spirit of the China-Laos community with a shared future, with practical activities” in the follow-up operation and development of the railway.

As for the environmental impact of the railways’ construction,the engineers have ensured that it is kept to the minimum by improving construction methods.After construction of every section, revegetation follows, and the construction team never spare any effort to return the trackside to its original condition.

Through cooperation projects like the China-Laos Railway,China demonstrates to the world that it honors its commitment to building the Belt and Road of high quality amid its pursuit of building a community with a shared future for humanity.

The streamlined bullet train, or electric multiple unit (EMU)train for the China-Laos Railway, arrived at the newlybuilt Vientiane station on Oct 16.The outlook, especially the roof, is Lao style, and the decoration embodies Lao and Chinese cultures, conforms to the characteristics of the China-Laos Railway.The stations are nicely built.

The China-Laos Railway will convert Laos from being geographically disadvantaged, by taking advantage of its location, to a regional land-linked hub.

The railway will be an important piece of infrastructure that increases the nation’s transportation connectivity with other parts of the region, that many business operators will switch to exporting products by using the railway, which is expected to cut the cost of transport through Laos by 30 to 40 percent compared to traveling by road.

The China-Laos Railway will lay a new foundation for the introduction of foreign investment, and Laos will take the advantage to participate in the regional and global industrial chain.

The railway will result in the growth of many industries like tourism, trade and investment, especially in the processing industry,and it’s going to help a lot for Laos’ post-pandemic recovery.

Firstly, when the railway is operational, Laos’ tourism industry is expected to benefit greatly from the expected rise in rail passenger traffic.

Business owners must prepare to welcome an influx of visitors under new normal conditions.They must improve their facilities and services standards.Laos has a lot of places where tourists can experience untouched nature and culture.With its rich natural resources and biodiversity, Laos can offer an opportunity to promote nature-based tourism.

Addressing the opening of the National Assembly (NA)on Nov.1, Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh said Laos needs to consider the steps to take to reopen the country,including the start of services on the China-Laos Railway.

Meanwhile, many provinces in Laos are preparing for the return of tourists.Visitor attractions and accommodation will be restored and upgraded after being closed for months during the COVID-19 outbreak.

A second opportunity lies in organic agriculture production.Many investors are interested in growing and setting up factories in Laos to process agricultural products for export, because clean agriculture production is in high demand (while Laos meets its requirements).

From a personal perspective, we must develop and improve more organic agricultural production for export to regional and international markets.

The China-Laos Railway will not only benefit bilateral trade, but also benefit other countries that want to export products to China or even Europe, as using the railway could save both time and money.

A third opportunity lies in the processing industry.For some products, even people can not provide parts of raw materials here, but they can process, assemble, export and ship them by rail to China and even beyond China to Europe through China-Europe Railway Express.

The railway has highlighted Laos’ geographical advantages,and that industries including finance and health care can also find development opportunities in Laos.