An international cargo train of China-Laos Railway is pictured at Wangjiaying West Station in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Jan. 2, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)
BEIJING, March 28 (Xinhua) -- At the first leaders' meeting of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) mechanism held in 2016, the six countries of China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam agreed to build a community with a shared future for Lancang-Mekong countries.
As China deepens strategic mutual trust with the Mekong countries, a full coverage of the bilateral and multilateral community with a shared future has been realized among the six nations that are at the forefront of building a community with a shared future for mankind.
In recent years, the governments, enterprises and relevant organizations of the six countries have worked together to continuously push forward infrastructure connectivity, policy coordination, innovation-driven development and people-to-people exchanges.
-- Weaving network through infrastructure connectivity
At Wangjiaying West Station in Kunming City of southwest China's Yunnan Province, automated handling equipment seamlessly transmits containers from just-arrived freight trains to waiting trucks, making sure that the tropical fruits from Southeast Asia are delivered to local fruit markets in time.
Coordinating air corridors, waterways and land hubs, Wanzhou District of southwest China's Chongqing has developed its key position for dual-way exchanges between the Lancang-Mekong region and China's central and western areas.
In 2024, Wanzhou District had shipped 2,436 TEUs of goods via the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, with the value of shipments totaled 146 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 38.44 and 14.67 percent, respectively, according to data from Wanzhou district government.
Enterprises have also emerged as innovative players in advancing infrastructure connectivity. Yuntianhua Group Co., Ltd. started regular operation of a China-Laos-Thailand round-trip freight train in May 2023, and achieved door-to-door transportation of potash fertilizer from Lao factories to Chinese clients later in July.
As a vital economic lifeline of the region, China-Laos Railway has seen the variety of transported goods expanded from more than 500 types to over 3,000, and achieved seamless connectivity with the China-Europe Railway Express, propelling regional logistics chains into the global arena.
The golden transport corridor under the LMC mechanism is reshaping the regional economic landscape. Statistics from China's General Administration of Customs show that in 2024, the trade value between China and Mekong countries totaled 437 billion U.S. dollars, up 125 percent compared with the trade size when the mechanism was launched.
-- Bridging barriers through regulatory coordination
The rapid growth of economic and trade ties among the six Lancang-Mekong countries has not only been propelled by "hard connectivity" of infrastructure, but also been reinforced by "soft connectivity" of rules and standards.
By implementing innovative customized clearance solutions and a smart clearance system, Kunming Economic and Technological Development Zone has pioneered the nationwide adoption of a two-way expedited clearance mode for international freight trains of China-Laos Railway.
This approach has significantly enhanced clearance efficiency while dramatically reducing logistics costs. Logistics expenses between Lao capital Vientiane and China's Kunming have decreased by 40 to 50 percent compared to before the launch of China-Laos Railway.
The streamlined customs and port measures have significantly enhanced trade facilitation, whereas optimized business environment and investor-oriented services have been driving more in-depth cooperation as well.
Last September, the founder of a foreign company based in Yunnan was in urgent need to obtain her business license within a month. Her request was immediately responded by the investment service center of Kunming.
Staff at the center worked overnight to review online materials and instructed the company to hand in paper documents the next day. Within only three working days, the license had been delivered to the company.
Driven by communication platforms such as the Belt and Road Forum for Laos-China Cooperation and the Lancang-Mekong Young Entrepreneurs Forum, the six Lancang-Mekong countries have strengthened institutional coordination and fostered convergence of development strategies through sustained dialogue, bolstering the stable and sound evolution of regional industrial chains with pragmatic cooperation.
-- Fueling growth with efficient innovation
At the end of 2023, the six countries issued joint initiatives on the LMC innovation corridor development, highlighting the role of technological innovation across LMC topics and clarifying the path of innovation with higher vitality towards a community with a shared future.
The 46th Bangkok International Motor Show, which kicked off a few days ago, has seen over a dozen Chinese automakers showcasing their self-developed battery technologies and intelligent solutions. Taking up 40 percent of the total exhibition area, Chinese brands represented a wave of innovative transformation in the auto industry.
Since 2021, Chinese automakers including BYD, GAC and Changan have proactively responded to the business invitation and investment promotion of the Thai government, building new energy vehicle plants in the country and helping with the green transformation of the Thai auto industry.
The China-Laos Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovation Cooperation Center was officially inaugurated in Vientiane last month. Taking the center as a starting point, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is committed to further accelerating collaboration with ASEAN nations across various fields including AI technology, cross-border data and talent training.
Enterprises in traditional sectors are making equally remarkable progress in terms of innovation. PetroChina Yunnan Petrochemical Company Limited, the refinery of the China-Myanmar crude oil pipeline project, has taken multiple measures to empower green development through technological innovation.
By continuously increasing technological investment and promoting integrated development of technological and industrial innovation, the company has been profoundly engaging itself in international oil and gas cooperation with innovation powers, supporting sustainable development of the Lancang-Mekong region.
-- Integrating cultural roots through people-to-people exchanges
On September 24, 2024, China's first cross-border tourism train, named StarExpress Lancang-Mekong, departed from Kunming railway station.
Running through northern Laos' Luang Prabang province and finally reaching Vientiane, the train allows passengers to enjoy the picturesque views and diverse cultural charms during a smooth and comfortable journey.
Last year on the evening of March 31, the Canton Tower, a landmark of China's Guangzhou City, dazzled with a light show blending the signature flowers of Guangzhou and Thailand's Chiang Mai, symbolizing the formal establishment of sister-city ties between the two.
Under the Belt and Road Initiative and the LMC framework, Guangzhou and Chiang Mai are committed to pursuing collaborative opportunities in various fields including education, academia, trade, investment, tourism, culture, agriculture, public health and so on, in a bid to further elevate industrial cooperation.
According to data from the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, China has established over 160 sister-city partnerships with Mekong countries. The significance of these ties lies not merely in the official agreements, but in the intangible power of mutual understanding and tolerance nurtured through shared experiences, which shall ultimately infuse warmth and humanity into international relations.
Likewise, building a community with a shared future for Lancang-Mekong countries goes far beyond a paper pact among the six nations. More importantly, it is a vision already woven into the rivers of the lands and the hearts of the people. (Edited by Yu Huichen with Xinhua Silk Road, yuhuichen@xinhua.org)
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