BANGKOK -- Rising COVID-19 cases in Laos are overshadowing the launch of a high-speed train to China billed as an engine of growth for the impoverished Southeast Asian country and a new route for Beijing to extend its reach deeper into the region.
Belt and Road
China-Laos high-speed railway set to roll through COVID cloud
Southeast Asian country's rising infections reduce pomp of Friday's launch
The China-Laos bullet train will compress what is normally a two-day road trek through rugged mountain terrain into a brisk three hours or so. © CCTV/Reuters
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