The 1,035-km China-Laos Railway linking Southwest China's Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, with the Laotian capital of Vientiane, has enhanced cooperation between China and countries participating in the BRI. It has already expanded land-based trade between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Boosted by surging trade volumes, favorable policy measures brought about by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement and other factors, Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd., a Vientiane-based joint venture responsible for the operation of the railway's Laotian section, announced in early August that, since its opening in December, cross-border products transported by the railroad have exceeded 1 million metric tons.

So far, about 21 provinces have used the China-Laos Railway's cargo services to transport more than 1,200 types of goods to Southeast Asian countries. Besides providing better cargo services, the operator is working on improving passenger services.

A record 1.45 million passenger trips were made on the China-Laos Railway in July, averaging 46,000 daily trips, according to the Kunming branch of the China State Railway Group Co.

As of Aug 2, 5.54 million passenger trips have been made, and 6 million metric tons of goods have been transported.