China-aided hospital upgrading project handed over in north Laos

A handover ceremony was held on Friday for the upgrading and renovation project of Luang Prabang hospital aided by China in the north of Laos.

As one of the important achievements of deepening friendly cooperation between China and Laos, the hospital will be put into use after the ceremony.

Chinese Ambassador to Laos Fang Hong said at the ceremony that the hospital after upgrading and renovation helps further improve local medical infrastructure and treatment capacity, thus providing quality medical care to local people.

Lao Minister of Health Bounfeng Phoummalaysith said the project demonstrates China's strong support for the livelihood projects in Laos.

"The upgrading and renovation project of Luang Prabang hospital aided by China in Laos has improved the professional medical level of the hospital. From the visit just now, I can see that the aid equipment [from China] is very advanced," he said.

Luang Prabang hospital was built with Chinese assistance at the beginning of this century, and the project includes the construction of new buildings for the departments of surgery and cardiovascular, and maintenance and renovation of previously Chinese-assisted buildings.

After the project handover, China will carry out three-year technical assistance, aiming to build the hospital into a central hospital in northern Laos and improve local people's livelihood.

"China has provided a lot of advanced equipment, which will greatly improve the medical level of Luang Prabang hospital, and provide better services for the people of Luang Prabang and the neighboring provinces," said Phouvana Anoulakkam, director of the hospital.

China-aided hospital upgrading project handed over in north Laos

The China-Laos Railway, a landmark project of the Belt and Road Initiative, has handled 487,000 cross-border trips with passengers from 112 countries and regions in the past two years, according to China Railway Kunming Group.

Since the cross-border passenger service was officially launched on April 13, 2023, the railway linking Kunming of southwest China's Yunnan Province and Vientiane, the capital city of Laos, has facilitated increased trade, tourism, and cultural exchange between the two countries.

This year, tourist bookings from ASEAN countries to Xishuangbanna, a popular tourist destination in Yunnan Province, have increased by more than 250 percent this year, with hotel occupancy rates consistently exceeding 85 percent and a surge of over 35 percent in tourism spending.

To meet growing passenger demand, railway authorities have taken a series of targeted measures, including increasing the international passenger trains between Xishuangbanna and Laos' Luang Prabang from four to six days per week, and adding a stop at Nateuy station in Laos.

The number of cross-border passenger seats per train has increased from 250 at the outset to 390, while daily inbound and outbound passenger flow has surged from 300 to a peak of 1,300.

The railway has also stimulated investment and trade along the route. The Saysettha Development Zone in Vientiane has attracted over 150 companies from nine countries and regions, including China, Japan, and Malaysia, generating an annual output of over 2 billion U.S. dollars.

China-Laos Railway handles over 480,000 cross-border trips in 2 years