Progress,Opportunities,and Prospects of China's Railway Diplomacy with Southeast Asian Countries
China's railway diplomacy in Southeast Asia is an important component of its global railway diplomacy and a key approach for China to promote high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative in the region.The practice of railway diplomacy evolves with the development of railway construction technology and changes in the international environment.External cooperation in this infrastructure sector is influenced by various factors such as politics,economics,and security.Despite challenges,China has achieved success with projects like the China-Laos Railway and the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway.Following the COVID-19 pandemic,South East Asian countries now concentrated to the restore of economic growth,presenting both opportunities and obstacles for China's railway diplomacy amidst international environmental changes.Against the backdrop of accelerating global changes,China's railway diplomacy in Southeast Asia must not only draw lessons from successful experiences and demonstrate their model roles,but also should adapt to the potential risks that are brought by the changing circumstances,and comprehensively consider geopolitical factors and economic benefits.This approach aims to facilitate more substantive cooperation and achieve further progress.