Injecting new momentum

Its operation will significantly improve regional power supply reliability and complement the China-Laos Railway, creating a combined "transport + electricity" effect that could inject new momentum into development along the corridor, Fang said.

Amid a global energy crisis, Fang said China hopes to use the project as a model to deepen practical cooperation in renewable energy, support Laos' energy transition, and expand bilateral cooperation into broader and deeper areas.

Malaithong Kommasith, Laos' minister of industry and commerce, said the project is not only a technological achievement but also a milestone marking 65 years of diplomatic ties. It reinforces what both countries describe as the "four-good" principles: good neighbors, good friends, good comrades and good partners.

The project, he said, is a strategic priority for Laos' long-term plan and a flagship project under China's Belt and Road Initiative, and will serve as a major transmission artery. It will ease domestic bottlenecks, accelerate the development of renewable energy in northern Laos, and convert clean energy resources into economic value.

Feng Yong, director of the Laos Research Institute at the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, noted that while Laos has abundant hydropower resources, its electricity supply fluctuates sharply between rainy and dry seasons. With the new bidirectional transmission channel, he said, Laos can export surplus electricity during the rainy season and import power from China during the dry season, stabilizing supply for households and industry.

Electricity infrastructure is central to Laos' development ambitions. A landlocked country with a mountainous terrain and abundant hydropower resources, Laos has sought to position itself as an energy hub in Southeast Asia, converting its advantages in hydropower, solar and wind into exportable electricity for neighboring countries such as Thailand and Vietnam.

"With a stable power supply, energy-intensive industries can find new opportunities, and reliable electricity can become a key selling point for attracting investment," he said. With a backbone grid and clean energy supply, Feng said, Laos can even begin to support data center industries and push Southeast Asia into "a hub for 'computing power' tied to the future of artificial intelligence".

Contact the writers at houchenchen@chinadaily.com.cn