Photo taken on Dec 4, 2021 shows an international freight train bound for Laos running near the China-Laos border. [Photo/Xinhua]

A train carrying 33 refrigerated containers left Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province, for Laos on Saturday.

It is the first train involved in cold-chain logistics on the 1,035-km China-Laos Railway, a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, which started operation on Friday.

The train loaded with Yunnan's specialty vegetables is expected to arrive in Lao capital Vientiane Sunday.

Specialty products of Laos and Thailand will be delivered at the Kunming Tengjun international land port in Kunming on the return trip, which will further be transported to cities like Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing, according to the land port.

The land port has established service networks in Laos and Thailand, providing comprehensive services such as domestic and overseas cargo collection, warehousing, cross-border logistics, customs clearance, transportation and delivery for the export of Chinese cargo and the import of Lao and Thai cargo.

The China-Laos Railway connects Kunming in Southwest China's Yunnan province with the Lao capital, Vientiane. It is the first overseas railway jointly constructed and operated by the two countries, adopting Chinese standards, and directly linking to China's railway network.