From protecting homelands to safeguarding railway: Retired veterans, apprentices on China-Laos Railway

VIENTIANE: In the early hours of Saturday (Aug 1), at Meuangxay Station on the Lao section of the China-Laos Railway, station lights shone on the tracks. Bounyadeth Thepvongsa, a Lao track worker, moved steadily along the rails, measuring, inspecting and repairing equipment to ensure the safe and smooth operation of the railway. “Master, the height and alignment deviations at the rail joints have exceeded the maintenance standards. What should we do?” Bounyadeth asked his Chinese mentor, Li Li, in Chinese. Li and Bounyadeth are a mentor-apprentice team at the Meuangxay Comprehensive Maintenance Workshop. Although they come from different countries, their…