?Aerial photo taken on Dec. 20, 2020 shows a view of the Vientiane-Vangvieng section of the China-Laos expressway in Laos. The Vientiane-Vangvieng section of the China-Laos expressway, the first highway in Laos jointly constructed by the Lao government and China's Yunnan Construction and Investment Holding Group (YCIH), was inaugurated on Dec. 20, 2020. The year 2020 has been a tough one for world economies amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. Against this backdrop, China has seen resilient cooperation with the Belt and Road (B&R) countries. As the coronavirus pandemic severely hits international transport, the China-Europe freight trains play a pivotal role in land transport among countries, as shown by the rising number of trains, opening of new routes, and the volume of goods. Major B&R projects, including the China-Laos railway, China-Thailand railway, Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, and Hungary-Serbia railway are making positive headway. China's aid to Belt and Road partner countries and the experience it shared with them during the COVID-19 pandemic are valuable and render the Health Silk Road more concrete. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)
