This frame grab from Lao National TV video footage taken on October 16, 2021 via AFPTV shows the Lane Xang bullet train at the Vientiane Railway Station in Vientiane. A new US$6 billion USD Chinese-built railway line opens in Laos on December 3, bringing hopes of an economic boost to the reclusive nation, but experts are questioning the benefits of a project that has seen thousands of farmers evicted from their land. - AFP
BANGKOK, Nov 28, 2021 (AFP): A new US$6 billion Chinese-built railway line opens in Laos this week, bringing hopes of an economic boost to the reclusive nation, but experts are questioning the benefits of a project that has seen thousands of farmers evicted from their land.
The 414-kilometre (260-mile) route, due to open on December 3, took five years to construct under China's trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which funds infrastructure projects aimed at increasing Beijing's clout globally.
