The China-Laos 500-kilovolt power interconnection project commenced operations on Monday, becoming the largest, highest-voltage power grid project between the two countries.

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The project raises bilateral power transmission capacity from 50,000 kilowatts to 1.5 million kW and is expected to deliver about 3 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, roughly 30 times that of the previous line, according to China Southern Power Grid Lancang-Mekong International.

Jointly invested by China Southern Power Grid and Electricite du Laos Transmission Company, the project connects Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture in Yunnan province with Oudomxay and Luang Namtha provinces in Laos. The transmission line spans 177.5 kilometers, including 145 km in China and 32.5 km in Laos.

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A 500 kV substation has been newly built in Laos, along with two 230 kV transmission lines linking the country's northern backbone grid, to support the development of a unified national power network.

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of China-Laos diplomatic relations and the Year of China-Laos Friendship.

The project will significantly enhance cross-border power interconnection and improve electricity supply in northern Laos, forming a green energy corridor in the Lancang-Mekong region. It ushers in a regional cooperation shift away from traditional infrastructure toward green energy and digital development, injecting fresh momentum into building a China-Laos community with a shared future, said Jiang Zhida, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies.