GLOBALink | China-Laos Railway promotes friendship, provides development opportunities

VIENTIANE, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The China-Laos Railway has deepened the friendship between Chinese and Lao staff and provided development opportunities to both countries and peoples.

As a symbol of China-Laos friendship and a triumph over Laos' landlocked status, the railway's Lao section has created more than 110,000 jobs for Lao people since its opening and has drawn the interest of numerous Chinese and local young talents who pursue their professional careers on the railway.

"Because we speak different languages, it was a bit difficult to communicate with each other at first, but our Chinese colleagues are very kind. They patiently teach us without hesitation everything we need to know to do our jobs. That's what impressed me the most," Sida Phengphongsawanh, a 23-year-old lady who worked as a locomotive maintenance engineer, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The China-Laos Railway is a docking project between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Laos' strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service