Not only has the China-Laos railway become a name brand for Laos, it has also greatly enhanced the Southeast Asian country's status, said Sounthone Xayachak, vice-president of the National Assembly of Laos.

Noting Laos was among the first to possess a modern railway in Southeast Asia, Sounthone made the remarks to delegations during the 45th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-45), held on Oct 17-23 in the Lao capital Vientiane.

The China-Laos railway, a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, began operations in December 2021. The 1,035-kilometer railway connects Kunming in Southwest China's Yunnan province with Vientiane.

During the meeting, participants from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Algeria, India, Bahrain, Canada and the European Union visited the railway's Vientiane station. They embarked on a journey to Luang Prabang in northern Laos on the "Lancang" train of the China-Laos railway, which was adorned in the red, white and blue of the Laos national flag.

The name "Lancang" is a tribute to the ancient name of Laos and the Lancang-Mekong River which flows through both China and Laos.