Laotian President hails the opportunities created by the railway, including enhancing fruit trade
The China-Laos Railway has boosted fruit trade in both countries and across the broader region by improving transit times.
In an interview with China Media Group, Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith said the route had transformed his country by improving connectivity.
“The railway has transformed Laos in many ways. It has brought comprehensive changes to the country’s development. Although Laos is a landlocked country with no coastline, it now has access to international trade routes and seaports through the railway network,” said Sisoulith.
“Laos is a small country and does not produce large quantities of goods, but the railway has created opportunities for Lao products to be exported to China and to other countries as well.”
Despite the initial benefits provided by the China-Laos Railway, Sisoulith said there was still an opportunity to increase operational efficiency.
“The governments of both countries are currently discussing and designing mechanisms to make cross-border procedures more efficient. We also need to continue modernising services and improving operational efficiency,” he said.
Laos isn’t the only beneficiary of the new route. According to a report from the South China Morning Post, it’s been a vital cog in the supply chain for China’s expanding blueberry export trade.
Quinn Lu, a senior manager at business consultancy Dezan Shira & Associates, Yunnan sits at the northern end of the China-Laos Railway network and blueberry production in the Chinese province has exploded since the route first opened five years ago.
Yunnan doubled its cultivation area and output between 2020 and 2025, and data from the General Administration of Customs shows China’s exports reached US$38.8mn in the first quarter of 2026, more than half of 2025’s total.
Lu said berries are exported to South-East Asia thanks to “trade facilitation” measures under the four-year-old Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and via the China-Laos Railway.
The railway has sped up overland transport while keeping farm produce fresher than many alternatives.
Chinese berries can now reach Kuala Lumpur by road or sea within days rather than weeks and are sold for about US$7/kg, Lu said. Refrigeration during transport had helped maintain quality, she added.
“Chinese blueberries offer an unmatched combination of freshness, year-round availability and accessible pricing,” she noted.
