(260205) -- MOHAN, Feb. 5, 2026 (Xinhua) -- An aerial panoramic drone photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026 shows the connection point of the Chinese and Lao sections of the China-Laos 500-kV power interconnection project. The Chinese and Lao sections of the China-Laos 500-kV power interconnection project were physically connected on Thursday, marking a major step forward in putting the project into operation.

This is another major project in bilateral cooperation following the construction and operation of the China-Laos Railway.

Spanning a total length of 177.5 km, the transmission line includes a 145-km Chinese section and a 32.5-km Lao section, funded and constructed by China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd. and Electricite du Laos Transmission Company Limited, respectively.

Once operational, the project is expected to enable a two-way transmission capacity of 1.5 gigawatts, delivering approximately 3 billion kWh of clean electricity annually. (Xinhua/Peng Yikai)