（InKunming Lexi）The China-Laos Railway is going to celebrate its first anniversary. The 1,035-km electrified railway, connecting Kunming in China's Yunnan Province with Vientiane, the capital of Laos, is the first overseas railway that applies China's standards, jointly constructed and operated by China and Laos, and straightly links China's railway network.

At present, the China-Laos Railway is showing more and more its value and function as the “golden channel”. As of Nov. 7, the total quantity of freight transported by the China-Laos Railway had exceeded 10 million tonnes, according to China Railway's Kunming bureau. Among the total, the cross-border cargo transportation volume topped 1.8 million tonnes, with its value hitting 12 billion yuan.

Benefited from the efforts in accelerating the convergence of rules and mechanisms between China and Laos, the daily perfection of the port functions and the constant convenience in customs clearance, the transportation value via the China-Laos Railway is growing month by month, and the numbers of cross-border freight trains are increasing, the cargo categories have expanded to more than 1,200, ranging from chemical fertilizers and general merchandise at the initial stage to electronic, photovoltaic products, and cold-chain fruits. The freight transportation has covered countries and regions including Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia and Singapore. Meanwhile, the China-Laos Railway also helps Kunming to show its regional advantages, making people, logistics and funds constantly gather in Kunming.

The China-Laos Railway, a golden channel set up between China and ASEAN, can greatly reduce transportation costs and time costs, and drive the growth of socio-economic development along the railway. Kunming is constantly making great efforts in seizing the opportunity of the opening of the China-Laos Railway and opening up a new trade zone with the shortest time and the maximum efficiency.

As for now, Kunming has introduced several action plans to actively set up a new opening-up highland with a wider range, a wider field and a higher level. Besides, to accelerate the construction of the Big Channel and the Big Logistics, Kunming has been granted trusteeship over Mohan Town, which makes Kunming the first capital city to own the borderline across the nation.

For the future, Kunming is to strive for the construction of the regional international comprehensive hub, speeds up the establishment of economic and trade center, science and technology innovation center, financial service center, cultural exchange center that based in the southwest, facing the whole nation and influencing the South Asia and Southeast Asia. All these efforts need to put the China-Laos Railway into great use, and stride forward in the construction of the regional international central city.

中老铁路建成通车即将迎来一周年。作为连接中国云南省昆明市与老挝万象市之间的电气化铁路，中老铁路全长1035公里，是第一条采用中国标准、中老合作建设运营，并与中国铁路网直接连通的境外铁路。

如今，中老铁路越发体现出“黄金线路”的价值和功能。据中国铁路昆明局集团有限公司11月8日统计数据显示，截至11月7日，中老铁路累计运输货物突破1000万吨。其中，跨境货物运输量超180万吨，货值突破120亿元。

货物运输量的逐月攀升，是中国和老挝两国在规则衔接、机制对接上面加快推进，是铁路口岸功能日益完善，通关便利化水平不断提升，是跨境货物列车数量的不断增多，是进出口货物由开通初期的化肥、百货等扩展至电子、光伏、冷链水果等1200多种，是货物运输已覆盖老挝、泰国、缅甸、马来西亚、柬埔寨、新加坡等国家和地区……与此同时，中老铁路也让昆明的区位优势愈发凸显，人流、物流、资金流不断汇聚到昆明。

成果来之不易。虽然从中老铁路开通伊始，人们就能看到昆明到万象从此山不再高、路不再长，这条在中国和东盟间构建起一条内外联动、便捷高效的国际物流黄金大通道，势必会大幅压缩两地的运输时间和成本，带动沿线经济社会发展，但如何抢抓中老铁路开通机遇，用最短的时间、最高的效率开通贸易新空间、打造开放新高地，昆明一直在为此努力。

例如，制定《昆明市推进中老铁路沿线开发三年行动计划》，提出加快推进中老铁路沿线开发，到2024年，昆明市外贸进出口总额大幅增长，货物贸易进出口总额达2100亿元，服务贸易进出口总额达20.95亿美元，年均分别增长15%和12%；相继出台《昆明市借助中老铁路开通推动国际物流枢纽建设三年行动方案》《昆明市主动对接RCEP促进开放平台发展提升对外开放水平三年行动方案》，积极构筑更大范围、更宽领域、更深层次的对外开放新高地；为加快大通道大物流建设，昆明托管西双版纳州磨憨镇共建国际口岸城市，成为全国第一个拥有“边境线”的省会城市等。

面向未来，昆明要着力打造区域性国际综合枢纽，加快建设立足西南、面向全国、辐射南亚东南亚的经济贸易中心、科技创新中心、金融服务中心、人文交流中心，无疑需要进一步利用好中老铁路，持续完善路网设施、优化运维机制、提升通道能力、建设物流枢纽、开发沿线产业等，在跨境产能、跨境园区、跨境贸易、跨境物流等领域不断发力，朝着建设成为区域性国际中心城市的目标稳步迈进。（中文稿件来源：昆明日报）