NANNING, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 80 percent of the construction of the China-Laos railway has been completed, said Lao Deputy Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone on Saturday.
The railway will serve as a key infrastructure for the economic corridor between the two countries and help boost trade, investment and tourism, said Sonexay at the China-ASEAN Expo held in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
With a designed speed of 160 km per hour, the China-Laos railway is expected to be fully operational in 2021.
Ground-breaking ceremony of the railway was held in December 2015, and the construction of the whole route officially started a year later.
China had invested a total of 12.5 billion U.S. dollars in 782 projects in Laos by the end of June this year since 1988, making it the biggest investor in Laos, said Sonexay.
(Photo: VCG)
Chinese investments in Laos are mainly focused on infrastructure projects like hydropower plants, highways and power grids, according to the deputy prime minister.