Yunnan continues to expand opening up

Yunnan province will strive to achieve a broader, deeper and higher level of opening up in the coming five years, according to a report delivered at the just-concluded 11th CPC Yunnan Provincial Congress.

The China-Laos Railway, which is about to open in December, will greatly cut the transportation costs and bring more business opportunities to Yunnan and the neighboring countries in the future.

“The number of daily passengers through the Yuxi station on the China-Laos Railway will reach more than 10,000 soon, and the annual cargo throughput at the Yanhe station will increase by 3 to 10 times,” said Deng Hao, a delegate from Hongta district, central Yunnan’s Yuxi city.

As the central logistics transfer station of Yunnan province, Yanhe is also a freight hub on the railway. Deng noted that Yuxi plans to set up more logistics posts and logistics companies in Hongta district, in a bid to build an international logistics center.

“Hongta district strives to achieve an output value of more than 5 billion yuan in the logistics sector by 2025, up by 33 percent year on year,” Deng added. 

In addition to business opportunities brought by the China-Laos Railway, Yunnan will focus on international trade facilitation by improving customs services.

According to Li Yan, director of the Kunming Customs statistics department, foreign trade of Yunnan province exceeded 200 billion yuan in 2019. “Yunnan's overall customs clearance for imports and exports has sped up a lot over the years,” said Li.

Ma Tao, a delegate from the Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture in south Yunnan, said that Xishuangbanna will speed up customs clearance, offering the 72-hour visa-free service, tax-free shopping tours and others.

Yuntianhua, a top 500 Chinese company based in Yunnan, is trading with more than 30 countries and regions, cooperating with 8 ASEAN countries in international commerce, agricultural technology and cultural exchanges.

In the future, the group will strive to become a leading food importer and enterprise in the cross-border logistics in South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Cultural exchanges will also promote the opening up of Yunnan province. The exchanges and cooperation between Yunnan-based universities and their peers in the neighboring provinces and countries have been strengthened these years.

Baoshan Institute of Agricultural Sciences in southwest Yunnan has formed a cooperative relationship with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Pu'er College has strengthened cooperation and exchanges with higher institutions in Laos and Thailand, through carrying out joint education programs.

Reporting by Tan Yazhu, Hu Meijun and Yang Qian (Yunnan Daily); Trans-editing by Yang Xuan