Internal working platform of Yunnan Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries

The 2025 Lancang-Mekong Local Government Cooperation Forum and the Dialogue on Historical and Cultural Cities were successfully held in Dali from November 18th to 19th, organized by the China Association for Promoting International Friendship Among the People and sponsored by the Yunnan Provincial People's Association for Promoting International Friendship Among the People and the Government of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province.

The theme of this year's forum is "Local Empowerment for New Opportunities: Building the Future Together along the Rivers". Representatives from government, economy and trade, enterprises, culture, tourism, and media sectors in 13 provinces and regions of China, including Yunnan, Beijing, Shanxi, Liaoning, Shanghai, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, and Shaanxi, as well as 17 provinces and cities from the five Mekong countries, attended the event. The opening ceremony was attended by Wang Ning, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Yunnan Province, Yang Wanming, President of the China Association for Foreign Friendship, Vangxava Siphanh, Secretary of the Party Committee of Nantong Province in Laos, Pham Hoai Ngoc, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Vinh Phu Province in Vietnam, and Khin Bin Nong, Deputy Foreign Minister of Cambodia's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Zhao Chenggang, a参赞 from the Asian Department of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered a special speech. Xu Hao, Deputy Governor of Yunnan Province, presided over the opening ceremony. Ji Yongjun, Deputy Director of the China Association for Foreign Friendship, Lerttharuk, Deputy Secretary of the Bangkok Metropolitan Government, Zaw温, Minister of Resources of the Yangon State Government of Myanmar, and representatives from the consulates general of the five Mekong countries in Kunming also attended the relevant activities of the forum.

(Left top: Wang Ning's speech; Right top: Yang Wanming's speech; Left bottom: Wanshawa Siphanud's speech; Middle bottom: Pan Huiyu's speech; Right bottom: Jin Bi's speech as the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs)

Wang Ning said the six countries of the Lancang-Meikong River Basin drink from the same river and are closely linked in their destiny. Under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and the leaders of the countries, the Lancang-Meikong cooperation has been cultivated for 10 years and has become a golden bond to share opportunities, a green bond to protect the ecology, and a bond of people's hearts to build happiness. The construction of the community of destiny of the Lancang-Meikong countries is lush and the local cooperation has borne fruitful results. Yunnan will fully implement the deployment of the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, carry forward the spirit of the Lancang-Meikong, strengthen local exchanges, adhere to mutual benefit and win-win cooperation with local governments of other countries, tap the potential for cooperation in trade and investment, cross-border industrial capacity, digital economy, etc., and create a model of shared development of the China-Laos Railway; adhere to the principle of ecological priority and green development, expand the cooperation space in new energy, bio-economy, etc., and create a green development model of the Lancang-Meikong River Basin; adhere to the principle of amity and good-neighborliness, enrich the content of cooperation in culture, poverty reduction, youth, etc., and create a model of amity, good-neighborliness, and prosperity of the border areas. It contributes to the new golden 10 years of Lancang-Meikong cooperation.

Yang Wanming said this year marks the golden 10 years of the Lancang-Meikong cooperation. Under the important guidance of President Xi Jinping on strengthening the Lancang-Meikong cooperation, China and the five Mekong countries have built a cooperation framework of "leader-driven, all-round coverage, and departmental participation" with the Lancang-Meikong spirit of "development-oriented, equal consultation, pragmatic and efficient, and open and inclusive". The Lancang-Meikong Local Government Cooperation Forum, which has been founded for five years, has made positive contributions to expanding local cooperation, deepening people-to-people friendship, and promoting regional economic integration. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee has deliberated and adopted the proposal on the "15th Five-Year Plan", which clearly emphasizes that China will expand its high-level opening-up, and is committed to sharing development opportunities and creating a better future with all countries, including the five Mekong countries. The China Association for Promoting International Trade is willing to work with all parties to adhere to the original aspiration, consolidate the foundation of the Lancang-Meikong community of destiny; insist on innovation, improve the quality and efficiency of local cooperation among Lancang-Meikong countries; and strengthen the ties, so that the people of the Lancang-Meikong countries can become closer and closer, and jointly build more bridges of people-to-people exchanges, pragmatic cooperation, cultural exchanges, and youth friendship, to make greater contributions to the accelerated construction of a Lancang-Meikong community of destiny facing peace and prosperity.

Wanshawa Xipan敦 said that the Lancang-Meikong cooperation is deeply rooted in the profound friendship among the six countries, and it is a new type of regional cooperation mechanism created by the basin countries for joint construction, sharing, and deliberation. After 10 years of cultivation, the cooperation has borne fruitful results. The six countries have earnestly implemented the important consensus of the leaders, shown the "bulldozer" spirit, adhered to the Lancang-Meikong spirit, promoted the Lancang-Meikong culture, and advanced cooperation in the three pillars and five priority areas, creating the Lancang-Meikong speed. This forum has built an important platform for mutual learning and cultural exchange among local governments of the six Lancang-Meikong countries. As a door to China and ASEAN for Laos, the Nam Nao Province will continue to use its geographical advantages, strengthen learning and exchanges with Chinese local governments, and work together to address global challenges and achieve common development.

Pan Huiyu stated that local governments are not only the direct practitioners of the vision of inter-state cooperation, but also the driving force to translate national-level agreements into concrete, pragmatic, and people-oriented projects. The theme of this forum deeply embodies the spirit of unity, sharing, harmony, and development among local governments in the region, and also highlights the crucial role they play. Currently, the world is facing many challenges, and the countries in the basin need to strengthen cooperation more than ever. An Giang Province is willing to expand pragmatic cooperation and experience exchange in the fields of economy, trade, tourism, science and technology, culture, etc., with local governments in the Lancang-Meikong countries, deepen mutual understanding, enhance people-to-people friendship, and work together to build a Lancang-Meikong community of shared destiny that is united, friendly, and prosperous.

Jin Binong said culture is the soul of a nation and a bridge for exchanges among countries. The civilizations of the six Lancang-Meikong countries have precipitated common cultural genes in thousands of years of exchanges, forming a picture of diverse cultures living together. In today's world of rapid globalization and technological changes, the significance of protecting and revitalizing cultural heritage is increasingly highlighted. Local governments play an important role in the protection, inheritance and innovation of history and culture. It is expected that the local governments of the six countries will take this event as an opportunity to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and create more practical cooperation platforms, so as to enhance mutual understanding and friendship among the people of the Lancang-Meikong countries and promote regional solidarity, peace and prosperity.

Zhao Chenggang summarized and reviewed the development process and fruitful achievements of the Lancang-Meikong Cooperation Mechanism, and stated that in recent years, the enthusiasm of local governments in the basin countries for participating in the Lancang-Meikong Cooperation has continued to increase, the channels have been increasingly expanded, and the results have been continuously revealed, which has promoted the people-to-people communication among the six countries and laid an important popular foundation for the Lancang-Meikong Cooperation to go steady and far. It is believed that this forum will effectively promote the six countries' local governments to accelerate resource docking, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and inject new impetus into promoting the sustainable development of the Lancang-Meikong region, making new contributions.

(Topic Discussion)

Delegates discussed in depth such issues as “地方携手 共商全球治理”, “科技赋能 助力生态文明”, “历史遗址的保护与活化” and “文化遗产的传承与创新”, and reached positive consensus. After the meeting, the “Dali Declaration” was released. All parties emphasized that they will continue to uphold the spirit of the Lancang-Meikong River, actively implement the four major global initiatives put forward by President Xi Jinping, jointly build the “Belt and Road” of high quality, strengthen local exchanges and cooperation, promote common development of all countries, and contribute to the promotion of building a Lancang-Meikong River country community of destiny for peace and prosperity.

(Complementary activities)

During the event, an experience exhibition of intangible cultural heritage and characteristic products of the Lancang-Meikong countries was held. After the meeting, the foreign guests also visited local enterprises, experienced the Erhai Ecological Corridor, inspected the current situation of the protection of cultural heritage in Dali, learned about the experience of modernization development in China, and explored cooperation paths in the fields of local governance, ecological protection, scientific and technological innovation, cultural heritage, and the revitalization of historical sites.