Zhonghongwang.com:

Yunnan is at the forefront of China's opening-up to South and Southeast Asia. Could you please elaborate on Yunnan's achievements in deepening cooperation and exchanges with these countries and regions in recent years? What are the next steps? Thank you.

Wang Yubo:

Thank you for the questions. I'll invite Mr. Liu Yong to answer them.

Liu Yong:

Thank you for the questions. Yunnan's economic development leverages its geographical advantage and relies on opening-up. In recent years, Yunnan has actively integrated into and contributed to high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. By promoting development through extensive opening-up, Yunnan has made significant progress in building itself into a center with radiation effects for South and Southeast Asia.

We have comprehensively strengthened the "hard connectivity" of infrastructure. The domestic sections of the China-Vietnam, China-Laos and China-Myanmar international corridor highways have been completed. Yunnan has the largest number of cities with air routes to South and Southeast Asia in China. The China-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline operates safely and smoothly, and 14 cross-border power grid interconnection channels have been built. Since the opening of the China-Laos Railway, over 10,000 freight trains have run, carrying more than 34 million passengers and over 39 million tons of cargo. Leveraging the operation of international freight trains running on the China-Laos Railway, like the Shanghai-Kunming Lancang-Mekong Express freight train service, goods can now reach ASEAN markets within five days from Shanghai, 10 days faster than before. We will expand the "golden corridor" effect of the China-Laos Railway, accelerate the construction of the China-Laos-Thailand leading and demonstration channel, closely integrate with projects like the China-Europe Railway Express and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and build a multidimensional connectivity network.

We continuously promote the "soft connectivity" of trade rules. We are actively participating in the construction of the China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor and the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor. Meanwhile, we are fully integrating with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and have established a multi-level opening-up platform system, promoting the vigorous development of trade and investment. Yunnan's trade with South and Southeast Asian countries increased from 72.5 billion yuan in 2013 to 125.8 billion yuan in 2023. Border trade increased by 51.5%, and trading between border residents increased by 55.3% in 2023. We will create a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment, strengthen cooperation in industrial and supply chains with neighboring regions, promote the coordination of rules, regulations, management, and standards. This will help us better coordinate efforts to further open up.

We continue to deepen cultural exchanges and advance "people-to-people connectivity." We have established 11 multilateral and bilateral cooperation mechanisms with eight neighboring countries and formed 51 pairs of sister cities with countries in South and Southeast Asia. We have built 30 pairs of border-friendly villages and implemented aid projects in neighboring countries. These projects include infrastructure construction, agricultural technology promotion, skills training, and education assistance. These efforts have benefited over 2 million people, bringing communities closer together. Yunnan universities offer majors in 15 languages from South and Southeast Asia, which are highly popular in terms of enrollment and employment. We will continue to forge friendships and partnerships with our neighbors, deepening cooperation with neighboring countries in public health, green development, science, education, and culture. We will promote the implementation of more "small and beautiful" projects, elevate our partnerships to new levels, and foster closer ties.

Thank you.