"I met her in the office. Her Chinese was better than mine, so I asked her to teach me Chinese and took this chance to get to know her. And now we have a cute little baby," he said.

"He is a very good person. He's always kind and ready to learn, and we always support each other," Phavady said.

They said that working in the same place gives them the opportunity to be around each other throughout the day, both at home as well as in the office. As a result, they are able to help each other, both in work and life.

The Nam Ou Cascade hydropower project had generated over 13.3 billion kWh of electricity as of June 2023.

The energy and mining sector plays an important role in economic growth. It has delivered numerous benefits in terms of job creation and the construction of roads, schools, hospitals, markets and clean water supplies.

The sale of electricity to neighboring countries and profits gained from extraction of minerals have earned sizeable amounts of foreign exchange for Laos.

Electricity represented the largest share of Laos' total exports. For example, in 2022, Laos' exports were valued at $8.19 billion, with electricity exports standing at $2.35 billion, up 7.5 percent from 2021.

"First of all, I would like to thank PowerChina for giving me a chance to work here. PowerChina has changed a normal girl like me forever. I have a stable job with a steady income, and found a stable relationship while working here," said Phavady.

"Because of cooperation between Laos and China, we met and fell in love and now we have a lovely daughter as a witness to our love. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for all cooperation projects between China and Laos, which allow us to have a better life and become a couple," she said.

Phavady said the BRI is really a good proposition, especially the China-Laos Railway, to which the Nam Ou project supplies electricity, because Laos is a landlocked country. Since the China-Laos Railway began operations in December 2021, it makes travel to neighboring countries more convenient.

"I would like to invite a fresh graduate from abroad or Laos to come and apply for a job with PowerChina and the China-Laos Railway company as well," said Nouphet.

XINHUA