中老铁路全线通车，命运共同体建设前景广阔

于洪君

2021年12月3日，是中老兩国关系史上一个极不寻常的日子。这一天，两国最高领导人习近平与通伦，通过视频连线的方式共同出席了中老铁路通车仪式。

中老铁路北起中国昆明，南至老挝万象，是第一条采用中国标准、利用中国技术、中老合作建设、双方共同运营、直接连通中国铁路网的跨境铁路。

中老铁路全长1035公里，途经磨盘山、哀牢山、无量山和元江、阿墨江、把边江、澜沧江，地形地貌极其复杂，桥梁隧道占比极高，施工难度非常之大，建设方案随时调整。中方施工单位高度重视沿线基础配套建设，对学校寺庙及乡村道路进行修葺改造，显著提高了当地民众生活水平和当地经济可持续发展能力。

中老铁路通车，是老挝现代化进程中具有划时代意义的重大事件。老挝从较为封闭的“陆锁国”，变成与外部世界联系畅达的“陆联国”。

中老铁路同时也是中老两国睦邻友好互利合作的旗舰项目，是中国-中南半岛经济走廊建设的重点工程，在“一带一路”国际合作大棋局中影响深远。东盟各国和全世界对中老铁路全线通车刮目相看。随着这条铁路全线贯通并持续延展，中国与东南亚互联互通、共建共享、联动发展的潜能将进一步释放，中老命运共同体和中国东盟命运共同体建设前景将更加广阔。

国家主席习近平高度赞扬中老双方高水平高质量地完成了这项铁路工程，以实际行动诠释了中老命运共同体精神的深刻内涵，展现了两国社会主义制度集中力量办大事的特殊优势。我们相信，双方再接再厉，善作善成，一定会把这条铁路维护好运营好，把沿线地区开发好建设好，让这条黄金线路造福沿线人民。

（作者系中联部原副部长、全国政协参政议政人才库特聘专家、中国论坛特约专家、《一带一路报道》特聘专家）

December 3， 2021， is an unusual day in the history of China-Laos relations. Xi Jinping and Thongloun Sisoulith， leaders of the two countries， attended the opening ceremony of China-Laos Railway via video link.

Linking Chinas Kunming in the north and Laos Vientiane in the south， it is the first cross-border railway adopting Chinese standards， utilizing Chinese technologies， jointly built and operated by China and Laos， and directly connected to the Chinese railway network.

With a total length of 1，035 kilometers， the railway passes Mopan Mountain， Ailao Mountains， Wuliang Mountain， Yuanjiang River， Amo River， Babian River and Lancang River. The complicated landforms and large number of bridges and tunnels make the project construction quite difficult， so that countless adjustments have been made to the construction plan. The Chinese construction unit attaches great importance to the infrastructure construction along the railway. It repaired and renovated schools， temples and rural roads， significantly improving the living standards of the local people and the sustainable development of the local economy.

The opening of China-Laos Railway is an epoch-making event in the modernization of Laos. The railway helps Laos to convert itself from a land-locked country to a land-linked country.

Besides， the railway is a flagship project that represents the good-neighborliness as well as friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. It is also a major project in the construction of China–Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor， exerting a profound impact on Belt and Road cooperation. The railway has amazed all parts of the world， including countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations （ASEAN）. Its extension after opening will further the connectivity， cooperation， sharing and interconnected development between China and Southeast Asia. The construction of China-Laos community with a shared future and China-ASEAN community with a shared future will see a broader prospect.

President Xi Jinping highly praised all parties involved in the railway for their high-level and high-quality completion of the project. They interpreted the connotation of the spirit of China-Laos community with a shared future and displayed the advantages of the socialist system that can gather forces to finish a major task. Through persistent efforts， the two countries will always achieve the intended goals as planned， including maintenance and operation of the railway as well as development and construction of areas along the route， so as to benefit the people along the route.

Yu Hongjun， Former Vice Minister of the International Department， Central Committee of CPC， Distinguished Expert of the National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference Political Participation Talent Pool， Special Expert of China Forum， and Distinguished Expert with The Belt and Road Reports