China: Border town witnesses booming trade, exchanges after launch of China-Laos Railway.

Shotlist FILE: Yunnan Province, southwest China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 1. Mohan Railway Station 2. Aerial shots of trains running on China-Laos Railway 3. Various of travelers at railway station 4. Foreign passengers boarding train 5. Various of foreign passengers on train 6. Travelers at railway station Yunnan Province, southwest China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 7. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Li Wanxin, traveler (partially overlaid with shots 8-10): "I was backpacking in Southeast Asia, taking the China-Laos Railway from Vientiane back to China. The travel experience has really improved a lot. I have met many European and American backpackers, who also entered China via this railway." ++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++ FILE: Vientiane, Laos - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 8. Vientiane Railway Station 9. Travelers at Vientiane Railway Station FILE: Yunnan Province, southwest China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 10. Various of foreign travelers on train ++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++ 11. Various of trains running on China-Laos Railway 12. Aerial shot of container yard 13. Various of people at durian stall 14. Aerial shots of logistics hub, trucks Yunnan Province, southwest China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 15. Workers unloading cargo from truck 16. Customs officers examining durian 17. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Liu Qi, customs officer, Mengla Customs (partially overlaid with shot 18): "The Lancang-Mekong Express international cold-chain freight train can now arrive in Kunming in just 26 hours. Via rail-road intermodal transport, the cargo can reach Shanghai, Hangzhou and other cities within 40 hours. In the meantime, new energy vehicles and specialty plateau agricultural products also travel south on the railway. The opening-up paradigm where trains bring temperate products to Laos and take back tropical products has taken shape." ++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++ FILE: Yunnan Province, southwest China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 18. Various of freight train moving 19. Aerial shots of container yard, warehouse 20. Electric vehicles for export 21. Various of crane working, truck moving at container yard ++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++ 22. Aerial shot of container yard 23. Building of China-Laos Mohan-Boten Economic Cooperation Zone service center 24. Various of trucks parked in logistics hub, moving on road 25. Workers loading boxes onto truck 26. Salesman introducing products in livestreaming show 27. Various of customs officers inspecting products 28. Building of Mohan land port Storyline The border town of Mohan in southwest China's Yunnan Province has seen a dramatic surge in cross-border trips and trade in goods since the launch of the China-Laos Railway in December 2021. Data shows that the railway has operated over 3,000 passenger trains, facilitating the entry and exit of 840,000 travelers from more than 120 countries and regions through the Mohan Port. Recent passengers noted that the route's popularity has made it a unique way to connect with fellow travelers from around the world. "I was backpacking in Southeast Asia, taking the China-Laos Railway from Vientiane back to China. The travel experience has really improved a lot. I have met many European and American backpackers, who also entered China via this railway," said Li Wanxin, a traveler from northwest China's Gansu Province. Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith, currently on a five-day state visit to China, recently praised the railway project for helping open up trade opportunities for the landlocked country. Already, the rail link has boosted bilateral trade with China, transforming Laos into a major agricultural export hub. As tropical fruits like durian are now in their peak harvest season, the freight yard of Mohan Port is busy unloading imports from Laos. Through seamless cold-chain logistics, freshly picked Lao fruits can now reach Chinese markets on the same day. "The Lancang-Mekong Express international cold-chain freight train can now arrive in Kunming in just 26 hours. Via rail-road intermodal transport, the cargo can reach Shanghai, Hangzhou and other cities within 40 hours. In the meantime, new energy vehicles and specialty plateau agricultural products also travel south on the railway. The opening-up paradigm where trains bring temperate products to Laos and take back tropical products has taken shape," said Liu Qi, a local customs officer. The growing flow of people and goods has also driven Mohan's industrial upgrading. As a large number of workers in cross-border warehousing, sorting, logistics and trade gather in Mohan, the town's supporting industries have become increasingly complete in recent years.