Eric's Insight: Yunnan adds "golden touch" to LMC

The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) mechanism enters its tenth year in 2025. As a pioneering Chinese province in the LMC, Yunnan has leveraged its unique strengths to work closely with the five Mekong countries, adding brilliance to this "golden mechanism" and contributing "Yunnan strength" to the Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future.

Venue of the 10th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in central Yunnan’s Anning city on August 14-15. Photo/Yunnan Daily

First, Yunnan builds sub-mechanisms to solidify the foundation for regional cooperation, establishing comprehensive cooperation mechanisms with its peers in all five Mekong countries.

They include the annual meeting mechanism between the Party secretaries of Yunnan and Vietnam’s Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Lai Chau, and Dien Bien provinces, the Yunnan-Northern Laos Cooperation Working Group, the China (Yunnan)-Myanmar Cooperation Forum, the China (Yunnan)-Thailand Cooperation Working Group and the China (Yunnan)-Cambodia Cooperation Working Group.

These sub-national mechanisms have operated smoothly, facilitating exchanges on local governance, discipline inspection, law enforcement, transportation, and agriculture through specialized training, workshops, and study tours.

Second, Yunnan enhances LMC connectivity through a multi-dimensional transport network, with its cross-border expressways basically taking shape.

The Chinese sections of the China-Vietnam, China-Laos, and China-Myanmar expressways are fully operational, while the Vientiane-Vang Vieng section of the China-Laos Expressway is already open.

The China-Laos Railway, a "golden route," has transported over 55 million passengers and 6.3 million tons of cargo by July 2025, benefiting 19 countries including Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar. High-speed trains now operate on the Chinese section of the China-Vietnam Railway, and the Baoshan-Ruili section of the China-Myanmar Railway is under construction.

Yunnan has opened 75 air routes to 43 south and southeast Asian cities, covering all major cities of Mekong countries. Shipping services via the Lancang-Mekong international waterway is thriving, with breakthroughs in container transport, and the Ganlei Port border trade market in Xishuangbanna is now operational.

Third, Yunnan boosts the LMC economic cooperation, with the Mekong countries remaining Yunnan’s largest trading partners.

In 2024, Yunnan’s trade with Mekong countries reached 101.765 billion yuan, accounting for 40.9% of the province’s total foreign trade. Trade with Vietnam and Laos maintained double-digit growth.

Yunnan’s cumulative direct investment in Mekong countries hit $8.7 billion. Platforms like the China-South Asia Expo, Lancang-Mekong Fruit Festival, and border trade fairs have boosted regional cooperation. Yunnan’s trade-facilitation policies have made cross-border investment easier.

Writing by Han Chengyuan; Trans-editing by Wang Shixue