The opening ceremony of the China-Laos Railway was held in Beijing, Kunming and Vientiane simultaneously on 3 December. General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and President Xi Jinping attended the ceremony via video link with General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith. Li Jun, Vice President of China Eximbank, attended the event upon invitation. 

　　The railway, with a total length of 1,035 kilometers, connects Kunming in China’s Yunnan Province in the north with the Lao capital Vientiane in the south, passing through Yuxi, Xishuangbanna, the border town of Mohan and Lao tourist destination Luang Prabang. It is the first overseas railway mainly financed and constructed by China, directly linking to China’s railway network. The railway has created more than 110,000 jobs for the Laos during construction. Nearly 2,000 kilometers of roads and tunnels were built along the route. Daily nonstop transportation can be realized between Kunming and Vientiane after the railway is opened for operation. This significantly contributes to the social and economic development and the national integration of the Laos. In the future, the railway is expected to link with more countries and regions including Thailand and Malaysia, and become an important part of the north-south artery of the Indochina Peninsula. 

　　Building the China-Laos Railway is a major decision made by the top leaders of China and the Laos. The railway is a bond docking Laos' development strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked one with the Belt and Road Initiative. It is a flagship project demonstrating China-Laos friendship, and is of great significance to the building of the China-Laos community with a shared future. China Eximbank attaches great importance to the project and has provided strong financial support for its implementation.