Landlocked in the heart of Southeast Asia, Laos ranks among the world’s poorest nations.
However, for over a decade, China invested heavily to build a dual-purpose passenger and freight railway through the thick rainforest between Kunming and Vientiane, the Laotian capital. This 1,000km (621-mile) rail line, with speeds of up to 200km/h (124 mph), has been operating quietly for four years.
According to a Chinese government study released this month, this railway has become a critical conduit for China to secure potassium – a strategic resource vital for agricultural production.
It also gives China unprecedented confidence in trade negotiations with the West.
Potassium fertiliser is essential for high-yield modern agriculture, yet China suffers from severe potassium scarcity – holding less than 4 per cent of global reserves, mostly in hard-to-extract salt lakes. For decades, China relied heavily on potassium salt imports from North America, home to the world’s largest reserves.
