Jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative: paving the fast track for the development of ASEAN countries

On September 13, in Bandung, Indonesia, the Javan high-speed train stopped near the Dekarur EMU. Xinhua News Agency

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In recent years, the Belt and Road Initiative has promoted the construction of important infrastructure projects such as the China-Laos Railway, the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway, the China-Thailand Railway and the East Coast Railway of Malaysia. This not only brings convenience to local people's travel, but also promotes regional connectivity and accelerates the development of regional economic integration. Through the construction of high-quality railway networks, countries such as Laos, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia have been able to forge closer economic ties. These railway projects are not only a landmark achievement of bilateral cooperation between China and ASEAN countries, but also inject new vitality into the process of regional modernization.

China-Laos Railway: The "Golden Channel" opened

Before the construction of the China-Laos Railway, there was only a 3.5-kilometer-long meter-gauge railway extending from Thailand to Laos in Laos. In the early morning of December 3, 2021, with the sound of a whistle in Vientiane Station, the Laos section of the China-Laos Railway was officially opened to traffic, and since then, 422.44 kilometers of new railway lines have been added to Laos. With the opening of this railway, Laos has jumped from the bottom of 149 countries with railways to 28th among the 149 countries with railways in the world, and has made Laos the country with the highest railway density among ASEAN countries. The China-Laos Railway has also facilitated freight and personnel exchanges between China and Laos. According to the data of Kunming Customs, as of September 16 this year, the total import and export freight volume of the China-Laos Railway has exceeded 10 million tons, with a value of 40.77 billion yuan.

The China-Laos Railway not only realizes the economic interconnection between China and Laos, but also provides important support for Laos' transformation from a "land-locked country" to a "land-linked country", and is a benchmark project for connectivity in Southeast Asia. Somma · Punsena, vice chairman of the Lao National Assembly, said excitedly: "The Lao people have been looking forward to owning the railway for many years, and the opening of the China-Laos railway has made this dream come true. ”

The completion and operation of the China-Laos Railway not only marks the opening of the "Golden Corridor" in Southeast Asia, but also injects new vitality into the economic cooperation between China and ASEAN and promotes the process of regional economic integration. With the support of the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Laos Railway has become an important channel for economic and trade exchanges between China and Laos, and has provided a demonstration effect for the interconnection of the whole of Southeast Asia. In particular, this railway has injected key impetus into the construction of the Trans-Asian Railway and contributed to the gradual realization of the Trans-Asian Railway network, thereby further promoting the process of regional economic integration.

Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway: China's "first overseas high-speed railway"

The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway is the first high-speed railway in Southeast Asia, marking the first successful "going out" of China's full set of high-speed rail technologies and standards, and an important achievement of the "Belt and Road" initiative in Indonesia. The high-speed rail not only demonstrates China's technological prowess, but also modernizes Indonesia's infrastructure. On the occasion of the opening of the train in September 2023, Indonesian President Joko Widodo named the train "Whoosh", which is inspired by the sound of the high-speed rail whizzing by and is an acronym for the words "time-saving", "efficient" and "advanced" in Indonesian, representing Indonesia's recognition of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway. "Whoosh" has become a buzzword that reflects the tremendous effectiveness of the Belt and Road Initiative in providing public goods to the world.

Since its opening, the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway has been welcomed by the local people. As of the end of September this year, the cumulative passenger volume of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway exceeded 5.4 million. Passengers took photos at Jakarta's Halim high-speed rail station, and the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail has become the most popular fashion hotspot in the region. The high-speed rail not only enhances Indonesia's connectivity, but also enhances Indonesia's position in regional economic integration. Jokowi expressed the hope that through such cooperation, Indonesia's domestic infrastructure construction will be accelerated to further meet the country's development needs.

China-Thailand Railway: An important milestone in cooperation between the two countries

The China-Thailand Railway connects Kunming, China, Laos and Bangkok, Thailand. At the 2024 Global Sustainable Transport Summit, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Surya said that the first phase of the China-Thailand railway (Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima) is 35% complete and is scheduled to be completed in the next four years. The second phase of the project, which will connect Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai, is expected to be completed in 2028.

At present, the Sino-Thai railway project is progressing steadily. The Chinese side said that China and Thailand are close to each other, good neighbors and good friends, the two countries have traditional friendship, bilateral cooperation continues to deepen, and the building of a community with a shared future between China and Thailand has maintained a good momentum. The Chinese side is full of confidence in the prospects of China-Thailand relations and is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges with Thailand, strengthen cooperation in various fields, accelerate the promotion of major projects such as the China-Thailand railway, and realize the development concept of China-Laos-Thailand connectivity at an early date.

The China-Thailand railway project is an important milestone in the cooperation between the two countries, which not only represents China's technological advantages in infrastructure construction, but also demonstrates the high level of mutual trust between China and Thailand. As a key component of regional economic integration, the China-Thailand Railway is expected to greatly enhance Thailand's status as a transportation hub in Southeast Asia, enhance its influence in Southeast Asia, and provide new impetus for Southeast Asia's economic development.

East Coast Railway: Helping Malaysia on a path of rapid development

The Malaysia East Coast Railway Project (hereinafter referred to as "Malaysia East Coast Railway") is designed to be more than 600 kilometers long and is regarded as a "land bridge" connecting the east and west coasts of Malaysia. As a landmark project of the Belt and Road Initiative between China and Malaysia, the Malaysia East Railway is also one of the largest single transportation infrastructure projects undertaken by Chinese enterprises overseas. With a design speed of 160 kilometers per hour for passenger trains and 80 kilometers per hour for freight trains, the railway will connect four states in Malaysia and provide efficient transportation links to the east and west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia. Since the start of the project's track works in December 2023, Ma Dong Railway Construction has gradually entered the track-laying stage from civil construction. As of mid-August this year, more than 70% of the construction of the Madong Railway project has been completed.

Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that Malaysia East Railway plays an important role in promoting the balanced economic development of the east and west coasts, which will drive the growth of investment and business activities, create jobs and provide high-quality vocational training for the local area, thereby promoting the development of industries such as manufacturing and tourism in the east coast economic zone. Malaysia's Transport Minister Loke Siew Hock also pointed out that after the Malaysian East Railway is put into operation, the time from Kota Bharu to Kuala Lumpur will be shortened to 4 hours. The steady progress of the construction of the Madong Railway is not only a vivid embodiment of the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits of the Belt and Road Initiative, but also a model for promoting comprehensive economic and social development.

Southeast Asia is a key cooperation area for the Belt and Road Initiative. As Peng Nian, director of the Hong Kong Center for Asian Studies, said in an interview with the media, before the opening of the China-Laos railway in 2021, rail connectivity between China and ASEAN countries was "almost nil", but now it is "blooming everywhere". The opening of the China-Laos Railway and the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway has made it more convenient for people to travel, and the construction of the China-Thailand Railway and the East Coast Railway of Malaysia is also progressing steadily, and these projects have effectively benefited countries in the region. In the future, China will continue to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation based on the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, promote deeper cooperation with ASEAN countries, and contribute to the modernization process of all countries.

(Yangon, October 10 -- Chen Xiaoyang, reporter of this newspaper in Yangon)

Source: Guangming Daily