Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith urged the visiting Chinese delegation to support Laos’ push for the completion of the Vientiane-Boten Expressway, linking the Lao capital to the Chinese border, by 2030.
The first section of the toll expressway—connecting Vientiane with Vang Vieng District in Vientiane Province—was completed and opened to traffic in December 2020.
On September 24, 2025, Saleumxay requested support from a delegation led by Mr. Xu Hao, Vice Governor of China’s Yunnan Province, to push for approval of the remaining section of the expressway connecting Vang Vieng to Boten on the border with China.
The 440-kilometer road is divided into four sections. The Vientiane-Vang Vieng section is already in use and has become a key route between Vientiane and Vang Vieng. The survey of the remaining three sections, which will pass through the mountainous terrain of northern Laos, has been completed.
Section 2 will run from Vang Vieng to the World Heritage city of Luang Prabang and promote connectivity between the two popular tourist destinations. Section 3 will link Luang Prabang with Oudomxay Province.
According to reports citing the Laos-China Joint Expressway Development Co., Ltd., the project’s developer, Section 4 will run from Oudomxay to Botein, a border crossing on the Lao side connecting to China’s Mohane border gate.
The project is under construction and is being operated under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model. In addition to the expressway, Mr. Saleumxay also requested his guests’ assistance in increasing joint efforts to implement the cooperation projects agreed upon by the two governments.
Mr. Saleumxay, who is responsible for economic affairs, emphasized the need for both sides to work together to upgrade border checkpoints and streamline procedures to facilitate the movement of people and goods across the border to promote trade and tourism.
He encouraged entrepreneurs from Yunnan and other parts of China to invest more in Laos. He also expressed hope that more Chinese tourists would choose to vacation in the country.
Mr. Xu Hao, Vice Governor of China’s Yunnan Province, who is in Laos for business to strengthen relations and expand cooperation between his province and Laos, thanked the hosts for the warm welcome they received for him and his delegation.
