BANGKOK -- Cross-border passenger service on the high-speed China-Laos railway officially began on Thursday after pandemic-related delays, with Laos hoping that it helps increase the movement of people in the region and boost its suffering economy.
The 1,000-kilometer route, which connects the Laotian capital of Vientiane and China's Kunming in Yunnan province, was completed in December 2021, but had been limited to passenger service within each country and cross-border freight transit due to China's strict coronavirus border measures.
