BANGKOK -- The China-Laos high-speed railway kicked off operations on Friday, and although the first passenger run will be made through Laos on Saturday, it remains unknown when cross-border service between the countries will begin.
The railway was built by a Chinese state-owned company, with China bearing 70% of all construction costs, which came to $6 billion, equivalent to one third of Laos' gross domestic product. Once construction began in December 2016, work proceeded smoothly in the one-party Southeast Asian nation.
