China, Laos sign railway deal

China and Laos signed an intergovernmental railway cooperation agreement in Beijing on Friday night, planning to introduce a modern rail line in Laos in 2020.

Xu Shaoshi, head of National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic regulator, signed the document with Somsavat Lengsavad, deputy prime minister of Laos, at a ceremony at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

The two countries have agreed to use Chinese technology and equipment to build a 418-km line that will connect Kunming, capital of southwestern China's Yunnan province, with the Lao capital city of Vientiane, according to the agreement.