This aerial photo taken on Oct. 16, 2023 shows a China-Vietnam (L) and a China-Laos international cold-chain freight trains pulling out of Yanhe Station of Yuxi City, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo by Chen Chang/Xinhua)

　　BOOMING HIGH-QUALITY DEVELOPMENT

　　Infrastructure construction has opened up broader prospects for practical cooperation between China and ASEAN countries in a rich variety of areas, driving stronger economic growth, closer exchanges and high-quality development.

　　China is the largest foreign investor in Laos. A large chunk of the investment has funded infrastructure, development zones, as well as power transmission lines and hydropower plants, creating many jobs for local people and pushing forward Laos' industrial upgrade.

　　Daovone said that Laos sees huge potential for further deepening cooperation with China across such fields as agriculture, electric vehicles and trucks, electricity, mining, solar energy, tourism, as well as hotels and restaurants.

　　Agriculture is the mainstay of the Lao economy. Laos exports bananas, rubber, cassava, sugarcane and others, with China being the largest buyer.

　　Through the years, Chinese companies have collaborated with the Lao government on tropical agricultural science and technology, and Laos is seeking to promote sustainable agricultural production and increase exports to China through the China-Laos Railway.

　　Vietnam, meanwhile, is China's largest trading partner within ASEAN, and China has been Vietnam's largest trading partner since 2004. Annual volume of two-way trade has exceeded 200 billion U.S. dollars for three consecutive years.