A cross-border refrigerated freight train carrying 400 tons of fresh vegetables left southwest China’s Yunnan Province for Laos on Friday afternoon, marking the start of regular operation of the refrigerated train service on the China-Laos railway line.

The train travels from the city of Yuxi in Yunnan to Vientiane, the capital of Laos, and then the goods are transported by road to Bangkok in Thailand.

Equipped with modern refrigerated containers, the cold chain freight train ensures that the vegetables remain fresh and of high quality throughout the journey. With this service now running regularly on the China-Laos Railway, Yunnan’s specialty and fresh produce have a reliable and efficient new route for export to more overseas destinations. “Over 50,000 tons of high-quality fruits and vegetables are expected to be transported to countries on the Indochina peninsula annually via this efficient railway route,” said Zhang Guilan, deputy director of the Yuxi Municipal Bureau of Commerce.

“This fast and efficient logistics channel not only meets customers’ requirements to keep refrigerated goods at the right temperature and deliver them on time, but also demonstrates the contribution of the China-Laos Railway to China’s international trade and high economic openness,” said Xu Jiefeng, department manager of the Kunming Logistics Center of China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Co Ltd.

Since the China-Laos Railway began operations in December 2021, over 10 million tons of import and export freight have been handled by August 22, 2024, according to the railway operator.

China-Laos cold chain freight train service in regular operation

A hospital in Beijing is offering a group of medical interns from the Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China several months of clinical training. After returning to their hometowns, they will work in the local health system.

These medical interns are all in their fifth year at Xizang University School of Medicine. They will spend most of their final year working in various departments at Peking University Shougang Hospital.

Pargr, 23, from Shigatse city in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, is currently doing an internship at the children’s outpatient clinic.

Pargr said his decision to become a doctor was inspired by a response letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping to graduating students in 2020.

Before responding, the students had written to President Xi, reporting on their achievements during the internship and expressing their desire to serve their homeland and make a contribution to their hometown.

“I remember that at that time, 17 senior students from the class of 2015 of our school who were doing an internship at Shougang Hospital of Peking University received a reply letter from President Xi. In the letter, President Xi advised them to cherish their study time, sharpen their skills, and go where they are most needed after graduation. I was in my first year of college at the time. I was deeply moved and greatly influenced by it,” said Pargr, a 2020 second-year student of Clinical Medicine at Xizang University School of Medicine.

Xizang is one of the minority regions in China where there is a shortage of general practitioners, so further training and more well-trained staff are needed.

Since 2015, dozens of top-class hospitals across China have offered their help to the highland region to improve local medical care. Cooperation between the schools also gives many medical students from Xizang the opportunity to complete internships in mainland hospitals.

Tashi Cijiu, 22, from Naqu City, is currently doing an internship in the urology department. After graduation, he plans to return to a health center in his hometown.

“Currently, medical standards in Naqu have improved significantly, and many communities now have their own health centers. However, there are still significant differences compared to more developed regions. These differences are not only due to a lack of modern equipment, but also a lack of qualified personnel. Because Naqu is relatively remote and living and working conditions are challenging, not many professionals are drawn to the medical field. But I believe that with national support and assistance, health conditions in Naqu will continue to improve,” said Tashi Cijiu, a 2020 second-year student of Clinical Medicine at Xizang University School of Medicine.

The hospital told China Global Television Network (CGTN) that there is a long-term training program for these interns from Xizang.

“We conducted a survey among former students and they all expressed a strong desire to return to our hospital for further studies. We are working on a project to provide them with opportunities, including support in living conditions, finances and other areas,” said Guo Zhenggang, an assistant dean at Shougang Hospital of Peking University.

Guo Zhenggang also noted that the hospital keeps in touch with former interns from Xizang online to help them overcome any difficulties they encounter while working at the basic health centers.

Hospitals in Beijing support the training of medical students in Xizang through university aid projects