A passenger purchases ticket at the ticketing office of the Vientiane Station of the China-Laos Railway in Vientiane, Laos, April 11, 2023. The cross-border passenger service on the China-Laos Railway to be launched on Thursday has been regarded as a historic event, which will be a significant achievement of the China-Laos cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. (Photo by Chen Chang/Xinhua)