KUNMING -- The China-Laos Railway has transported over 1 million passengers and 500,000 tonnes of cargo since it was launched in December 2021, said the transport authorities of southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The cargo transported by the railway includes 100,000 tonnes of cross-border goods, according to the China Railway Kunming Group Co., Ltd.

The China-Laos Railway connects Kunming in Yunnan Province with the Lao capital Vientiane. It is the first overseas railway jointly constructed and operated by the two countries.

The 1,035-km railway, a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, started operation on Dec. 3, 2021.

"Currently, the cargo category of the railway keeps expanding, ranging from feed and fertilizer products to communications, photovoltaic, automobile and textile products. The transportation volume of rice, beer and other food and articles of daily use are also growing," said Xu Jiefeng, an official of the company.