(ECNS) -- The China-Laos Railway has transported more than 86 million metric tons of cargo since it began operations, Lian Lijun, deputy director of the Yunnan Provincial Development and Reform Commission, said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Cargo volume on the railway doubled year on year for three consecutive years from 2022 to 2024, before rising by a further 24% in 2025.

The railway has also helped make Laos Yunnan Province’s second-largest trading partner for the first time. In 2025, trade between Yunnan and Laos, as well as between Yunnan and Thailand, increased by more than 35%.

The railway has also driven industrial development along its route, with 37 industrial parks at or above the provincial level generating more than 1 trillion yuan ($148 billion) in revenue. Meanwhile, the number of tourists travelling from Laos to Yunnan reached 119,500 in 2025, up 19.3% year on year.

In 2025, the project was recognized by seven international organizations, including the World Bank, as one of the world’s leading poverty reduction cases.

(By Helen Mo, intern Li Chengzhan)