Cross-border transport route linking China, Laos, Cambodia launches

The launch ceremony for the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) direct cross-border transport route linking China, Laos and Cambodia was held on Sunday in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, marking the start of regular operations for a new international logistics corridor under the GMS Cross-Border Transport Facilitation Agreement, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday.

A freight fleet loaded with consumer goods such as ceiling fans and plastic water tanks and other life necessities will depart from Kunming, pass through Vientiane, Laos and eventually arrive in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  

The GMS China-Vientiane-Cambodia route adopts a "one container (truck) to the end" model, utilizing smart logistics technologies such as pre-declaration, electronic seals and multi-country joint transport. The system achieves "zero container transfers, zero cabinet adjustments and zero unpacking" throughout the journey, significantly enhancing efficiency.  

Compared with traditional methods, the new route is expected to reduce one-way transit time to six to eight days, boosting efficiency by more than 40 percent and reducing the risk of cargo damage during the cross-border transportation.

An official from the Department of Transport of Yunnan Province said the regular operation of the route not only establishes a direct logistics corridor between Kunming and Phnom Penh but also strengthens Southeast Asia's logistics network through key hubs such as Vientiane, according to the CCTV report.

The launch of the route marks another major achievement in cross-border logistics cooperation between Yunnan and GMS countries, following breakthroughs in the GMS international road transport trial in June 2024 and the successful launch of the China-Laos-Thailand cross-border transport route in February 2025.

Next, the Department of Transport of Yunnan Province will continue to improve the cross-border logistics network, launch more international transport routes within the GMS, and deepen industrial and supply chain cooperation to foster new strengths and drive high-quality regional economic development, according to the department's official website.

In the first quarter of this year, ASEAN remained as China's largest trading partner, with total trade reaching 1.71 trillion yuan ($234.17 billion), marking a 7.1 percent year-on-year increase and accounting for 16.6 percent of China's overall foreign trade, said Lü Daliang, a spokesperson for the General Administration of Customs (GAC), on April 14.