耗资60亿美元的中老铁路，正在改变中老边境的一个小镇

China’s New $6B Railway in Laos: Massive Debt Trap or Megaproject Success?

耗资60亿美元的中老铁路：巨额债务陷阱还是大型基建项目成功?

A $6 billion Chinese-built railway in Laos is transforming a small town on the border of China, easing transportation and promising new products for export. The 262-mile rail line is a key part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, aimed at upgrading trade and transport networks from Africa to the Pacific.

China is looking to link its companies with new overseas markets while Laos has hopes of growing a robust export market. But what are the costs of develo this massive infrastructure?

耗资60亿美元的中老铁路正在改变中老边境的一个小镇，它不仅便利了交通，还有望为出口带来新产品。这条262英里长的铁路线是中国“一带一路”倡议的关键部分，旨在升级从非洲到太平洋的贸易和运输网络。

中国正寻求将其企业与新的海外市场联系起来，而老挝则希望发展一个强劲的出口市场。但是建设这种大规模基础设施的代价是什么呢?

以下是Youtube网友的评论：

nahumastorrothschild7348

It not only connects China to Laos it helps the people of Laos to connect with the world. It has more benefits that perceived dangers.

这条铁路不仅连接了中国和老挝，也让老挝人民与世界相连。它带来的好处比想象的危险要多。

calebc.bourassa7652

I remember being in Laos in 2019, been on a bus for 6 hours winding up and down these skinny dirt mountain roads. There was very little infrastructure, the few paved roads where small and covered in potholes then all of a sudden we turned a corner and and I saw a massive valley carved into the mountains, with a extremely robust rail line under construction. The scale was very big, but compared to everything else in Laos it seemed gigantic. It was very confusing seeing such a contrast in infrastructure quality, cool to find out that's what I was looking at.

我记得2019年在老挝，在那狭窄的土路上坐了6个小时的巴士。那里几乎没有什么基础设施，很少有铺砌的道路，路又窄又坑坑洼洼，突然拐了个弯，我看到了一个巨大的山谷，山谷里有一条非常坚固的铁路线正在建设中。规模非常大，但与老挝的其他一切相比，这个项目似乎是巨大的。在基础设施质量上看到如此大的反差让我很困惑，同时也觉得很酷。

jeffpotter2934

It is amazing that this chip doesn’t say only 10% of Sri Lanka debt belongs to China

令人惊讶的是，没有提斯里兰卡只有10%的债务是欠中国的

buixote

The WSJ has no business talking about Chinese "debt traps". It's ignored the abuses of the World Bank and IMF pretty continuously. Those are real debt-traps, from which many African and Central/South American Countries are still struggling.

《华尔街日报》无权谈论中国的“债务陷阱”。它一直无视世界银行和国际货币基金组织的违规行为，这些都是真正的债务陷阱，许多非洲和中/南美洲国家仍因此而痛苦挣扎。

bin.s.s.8816

As a Chinese, may I offer you a "big secret" (if not the biggest) of the so called Chinese economic miracle: some 30 years ago we borrowed "massive debt" from Japan, Korean and anywhere we could get, and invested the biggest portion of it to build roads and railway lines to improve the communication efficiency of the whole society. Although such infrastructure investment sank money like black holes, its effects turned to be like magic. Now it pays off enormously.

作为一个中国人，我可以告诉你一个所谓中国经济奇迹的“大秘密”(如果不是最大的秘密的话)：大约30年前，我们从日本、韩国和任何我们能得到的地方借了“巨额债务”，并将其中最大的一部分投资于修建公路和铁路，以提高整个社会的沟通效率。尽管这样的基础设施投资像黑洞一样吞噬了资金，但其效果却像变魔术一样，现在的回报是非常可观的。

user-kf3zv8ps6q

Before falling into the so-called Chinese debt trap, Laos and its people have been struggling in the abyss of extreme poverty for at least 50 years. This railway has brought them a glimmer of hope at least.

The U.S. dropped over 2.5 million tons of bombs on Laos in nine years.

Right now, 80 million American bombs remain unexploded in Laos. It is still killing at least 50 people a year.

The U.S. might consider hel Laos pay for Chinese railroad construction so Laos doesn't owe us Chinese money. In this way, the Laotians are happy, the Chinese are happy, and the Americans are happy to have their sins mitigated. Everyone is happy, so why doesn't the United States do it?

在陷入所谓“中国债务陷阱”之前，老挝及其人民已经在极端贫困的深渊中挣扎了至少50年。这条铁路至少给他们带来了一线希望。

美国在九年内向老挝投下了250多万吨炸弹。在老挝，至今还有八千万枚美国炸弹未爆炸。老挝每年仍有至少50人死于霍乱。

美国可能会考虑帮助老挝支付中国的铁路建设费用，这样老挝就不欠中国的钱了。这样一来，老挝人高兴了，中国人高兴了，美国人也高兴了，因为他们的罪行减轻了，皆大欢喜，那美国为什么不这样做呢?

Laos has been the poorest country in the world for the last 50 years without a single railroad. Why haven't the Americans helped the Laotians build a railroad?

在过去的50年里，老挝一直是世界上最贫穷的国家，没有一条铁路。为什么美国人不帮老挝人修条铁路?

albiceleste101

If westerners don't like Chinese loans, then let them offer an alternative

如果西方人不喜欢中国给人家贷款，那就让他们提供另一种选择

electromega3077

Not sure we can call this a “debt trap”. But for sure, it’s by far and far better than the bomb traps forcefully offered by some countries.

我不确定我们能否称之为“债务陷阱”。但可以肯定的是，它比一些国家强塞的炸弹陷阱要好得多。

johnchan4136

As of 2022, China's export worth $3000B USD while India's $300B USD. The sheer difference in volume determines the importance of BRI to enhance connectivity for higher cost and time effectiveness. China's BRI is market driven while India's is geopolitically driven lacking sustainability.

截至2022年，中国的出口额为3万亿美元，而印度为3000亿美元。体量上的巨大差异决定了“一带一路”对于增强连通性以提高成本和时间效率的重要性。中国的“一带一路”是市场驱动的，而印度的“一带一路”是地缘政治驱动的，缺乏可持续性。

maisonikkoku5178

I am not sure if this railway will ultimately be a success or lead to a debt trap. However, I can be certain that the US's Asia Railway proposal in India is more expensive, will take longer to build, and does not have the technical and experience of large-scale infrastructure railway construction. So~

我不确定这条铁路最终会成功还是会导致债务陷阱。然而，我可以肯定的是，美国在印度规划的亚洲铁路的成本更高，建设时间更长，而且不具备大规模基建铁路建设的技术和经验，所以……

charleskurniawan2950

With the presence of the Belt and Road Initiative from China to neighboring countries, the US should inquire with its neighbors whether they also wish to establish trade routes like that. The question of whether the Chinese BRI is a debt trap or not is best answered by the Latin American countries.

随着“一带一路”倡议从中国延伸到周边国家，美国应该问问周边国家，他们是否也希望建立这样的贸易路线。中国的“一带一路”倡议是不是债务陷阱，拉美国家最有资格回答这个问题。

japjungho4645

If Chinese loans are debt traps, IMF loans are economic colonization. Take that low interest rate, but privatize most if not all your profitable businesses for the West to buy at a ridiculously low price.

如果说中国贷款是债务陷阱，那么IMF贷款就是经济殖民。接受低利率，但将大部分(如果不是全部的话)有利可图的企业私有化，让西方国家以低得离谱的价格收购。

sumansjs

If IMF/World Bank gives loan.. is it called debt trap?

如果是国际货币基金组织和世界银行提供贷款，也叫债务陷阱吗?

sulaak

When it's Africa or Asia it is called a Chinese debt trap, but if the infrastructure is in Europe (Crotia new Chinese bridge, "Pelješac Bridge"), it is called an asset.

在非洲或亚洲，这被称为中国债务陷阱，但如果基础设施项目在欧洲(克罗地亚新中国桥，“Pelješac桥”)，则被称为资产。

dylreesYT

I hope it gets connected to Singapore before the debt issue consumes them. Trans-SEA railway is huge for tourism in the area, something I'd like to contribute to by going on holiday

我希望在债务问题吞噬新加坡之前，这条铁路能连接到新加坡。跨海铁路对该地区的旅游业有很大的帮助，我想去度假，贡献自己的一份力量。

wongpengchiong273

It will be good to have a breakdown on the debts that Laos has and see who are the debtors by ranking. Tying debts directly to one project by China is hardly a convincing argument.

最好能对老挝的债务进行分类排名，看看都欠谁的钱。将债务陷阱直接与中国的一个项目挂钩很难令人信服。

huggybear441

Nikkei Asia, already reported that the mega railway project that cost 6 billion dollars was mainly funded by China with Laos only pay 1.8 billions. By estimation both the passenger and cargo trains can make six round trips per day. High tourism and cargoes traffic plus redevelopment of the surrounding areas in service, and productivity will boost Laos' economy by 5% to 616 million per year. At the fastest, Laos can recoup their investment in three years time. So, What debt trap is the Wall Street Journal talking about? Or are they trying to misled the viewers?

日经亚洲已经报道，耗资60亿美元的大型铁路项目主要由中国提供资金，老挝只支付了18亿美元。据估计，客运列车和货运列车每天可往返六趟。旅游和货物运输量加上周边地区的服务业和生产力的重建将使老挝的经济每年增长5%，达到6.16亿美元。老挝最快可以在三年内收回投资。那么，《华尔街日报》所说的债务陷阱是什么呢？还是他们想误导观众?

jeffw4972

If it is a debt trap, US should provide aide to Laos so they could pay off the loan. It's only $6B.

如果这是一个债务陷阱，美国应该向老挝提供援助，这样他们就能还清贷款，才60亿美元而已。

kevinjenner9502

The CIA referred to their covert war in Laos as “the largest paramilitary operations ever undertaken by the CIA”…The bombing campaign (1964-1973) dropped 2 million tons of ordnance on Laos, the most bombed country in the world.

中央情报局称他们在老挝的秘密战争是“中央情报局有史以来规模最大的准军事行动”，轰炸行动(1964-1973)在老挝投下了200万吨弹药，老挝是世界上被轰炸最多的国家。

RayMak

I still remember visiting mines and bombs museums in Laos. It’s sad

我还记得参观老挝的地雷和炸弹博物馆，太难过了

kalasend

1. It is irony of monstrous scale for Americans to criticize others about incurring huge debts

2. See that $6B price tag? See that? The California High Speed Rail project so far costed $20B, started in 2015 and expected to finish in 2030 (with records of delays after delays and budget overuns) for section ONLY between Merced and Bakersfield, two inland sparsely populated cities.

Any country's official, with IQ as low as 70, would ignore infrastructure building advices from the US.

美国人批评别人背负巨额债务，这太讽刺了。60亿美元，看到了吗？到目前为止，加州高铁项目耗资200亿美元，于2015年开始，预计将于2030年完工(有延迟和预算超支的记录)，仅在默塞德和贝克斯菲尔德这两个人口稀少的内陆城市之间。任何智商低至70的国家官员都不会理会美国的基础设施建设建议。

julioduan7130

If Laos has such a potential, why didn’t western countries come and invest until Chinese came and invested?

The USA is do hypocritical. It doesn’t want to invest and maintain a good relationship with Global South until China made a deal with these countries.

如果老挝有这样的潜力，为什么西方国家不去投资，轮到中国去投资?

美国太虚伪了，在中国与这些国家达成协议之前，它不想投资，不想与这些国家保持良好的关系。

osamabinladenssecondgirlfr4241

If this is working for China and Laos, good for them. And if we want them to be more influenced by the US, then we need to present a better offer, and also help ameliorate the damage that was done to them in the Vietnam war.

In my view, the competition that China is bringing to the US is a good thing, as it helps make us better, and them as well, for what it is worth.

如果这对中国和老挝有用，那是好事。如果我们想让他们更多地受到美国的影响，那么我们需要提出更好的提议，并弥补他们在越南战争中受到的伤害。

在我看来，中国给美国带来的竞争是一件好事，因为这有助于我们进步，也有助于他们进步

thomaskim3128

After carpet bombing Laos, a non combatant nation in the Vietnam war, America had conveniently forgotten Laos until China started to re-build Laos, that was when Laos because a concern for America. For any country that wants American attention and care, get close to China. Otherwise, you’re irrelevant.

在越南战争中，地毯式轰炸了老挝这个非战斗国家之后，美国很快忘了老挝，直到中国开始重建老挝，这时老挝成了美国的一个关注点。任何想要得到美国关注和关心的国家，都应该去接近中国，否则你就无关紧要了。

wangyaohan8824

landlocked to land-linked. that's opening many opportunities. depends on the government/businessman/people to exploit those opportunities.

内陆到陆联，这带来了很多机会。这取决于政府/商人/人民如何利用这些机会。

jason_sleek

But… All we did was drop bombs on em. Sometimes, we gotta accept our personal evils and applaud “goodwill” instead.

但是我们所做的只是向他们扔炸弹。有时候，我们必须接受我们个人的邪恶，并为“善意”鼓掌。

richardincm

Does anybody know what were the financial-details of the construction of the Laos-railway ? Interest-rates from Chinese-banks & security offered to cover the loans, and so on ? One hopes that it will be profitable, now that it is actually operating, but what happens if it isn't ?

有谁知道修建中老铁的财政细节吗？中国银行的利率和贷款担保等等？既然它已经开始运营了，人们希望它能盈利，但如果不能盈利怎么办?

Crazywhitie

The US needs to invest into a Nation wide Rail transit system

美国需要投资全国范围的轨道交通系统

creative_cooper

America: Spends $8 trillion in 20 years on fruitless wars in the middle-east.

News-media: Silence

China: Spends a measly $1 trillion in 10 years on infrastructure projects around the world.

News media: Deeeeebbbbbbbbtttttt-Trrrrraaaaaaaappppppp don't take it. Take our bombs instead

美国：20年里花了8万亿美元在中东打仗，毫无结果。

新闻媒体：对此沉默

中国：10年内在世界各地的基建项目上投了区区1万亿美元。