A delegation led by Virasack Somphong, consul general of Laos in Nanning, visits Liuzhou Railway Vocational Technical College in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on April 20. [Photo by Lin Xin/chinanews.com]

The China-Laos Railway, a large-scale project being developed under the Belt and Road Initiative, is scheduled to be put into operation by the end of the year, at which time it will become Laos's first modern railway.

A delegation led by Virasack Somphong, consul general of Laos in Nanning, visited Liuzhou Railway Vocational Technical College in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on April 20, as Laos is currently lacking in top technical talents specializing in railways.

"We need to learn from China in its experience and techniques in the operation and maintenance of railways," said Somphong.

He noted that the China-Laos Railway will help regions that the railway passes through fight against poverty. It will also boost mutual development of the two countries in areas such as commerce, investment and tourism, making further contributions to the economic and social development of both nations. 

Liuzhou Railway Vocational Technical College dispatched seven teachers to Laos in December last year to help it cultivate railway talents. "We have offered a training program for around three months in Laos, benefiting over 200 trainees. Our training was mainly in vehicle driving and cargo transportation," said Lan Zhijiang, one of the seven teachers who taught in Laos. 

Yang Longping, vice president of Liuzhou Railway Vocational Technical College, said that the college has been planning to enhance cooperation with Laos in railway talent cultivation by measures such as recruiting Laos students and sending Chinese teachers to Laos.

Somphong expressed his gratitude to China for teaching Laos students and trainees and spoke highly of the college's contribution in terms of cultivating railway talents.

Liuzhou Railway Vocational Technical College, founded in 1956, has carried out cooperation in areas such as academic exchanges, cultural communication and student training with 24 colleges and institutes from BRI countries and regions such as Thailand, Laos, Indonesia and Russia since 2016.