The First Session of the China-Southeast Asia Business Forum co-hosted by the Government of Yunnan Province and ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) was held in Kunming on 13 June 2017. More than 500 participants from governments, chambers of commerce, think-tanks and enterprises of China and Southeast Asian countries attended the forum. Mr. Li Xiuling, Deputy Secretary of CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee, Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary General of ACC, Mr. Thannongsinh Kanlagna, Vice President of Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, delivered speeches at the Opening Ceremony hosted by Mr. Gao Shuxun, Director of the Executive Committee of the forum and Party Member of the People’s Government of Yunnan Province.

Vice Party Secretary Mr. Li Xiuling expressed that the Forum aims at promoting the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthening the exchanges between China and South East Asian countries, facilitating mutual benefits and development of enterprises, and establishing the platform of trade, investment, dialogue and people-to-people exchanges. Yunnan is the gateway and land route for exchanges between China and Southeast Asian countries with a unique geographical advantage and market advantage. Yunnan is committed to the building of a channel connecting China with the world, cultivating mega-industries with complementaries, promoting smooth and efficient trade cooperation and creating platforms for practical cooperation. Yunnan is willing to work with Southeast Asian countries to promote the bilateral cooperation in wider areas and at higher levels for common prosperity.

Secretary General Yang Xiuping expressed that Southeast Asian countries and China are important partners for the building of the Belt and Road Initiative and enjoy great potential for cooperation. It’s expected that the two sides could implement the consensus under regional cooperation frameworks, synergize development strategies under the Belt and Road Initiative, support the development of sub-regional mechanisms such as Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and BIMP-EAEG, and mobilize cities and provinces as well as the enterprises to seek more converging interests. ACC is willing to work with people from various sectors to play bigger role in deepening practical cooperation and friendship between ASEAN and China.

Vice President Mr. Thannongsinh Kanlagna expressed that the Lao PDR is located at the center of the GMS and took an active part in the international and regional economic cooperation. At present, the Lao PDR enjoys political stability, economic openness, rapid economic and social development and great potential of investment cooperation. Strengthening connectivity is of great significance to promoting regional economic and social development. The Lao PDR hopes to continue to synergize the Belt and Road Initiative with the strategy of changing landlocked country into land linked country of Lao PDR, making full use of platforms including the forum, to further cooperate with China in the areas of special economic zones, infrastructure development and promote the connectivity between the Lao PDR and the region and even the world to achieve mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

At the following thematic forums，Mr. Sha Zukang，former Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations. Mr. He Keng, former Deputy Director of Financial & Economic Committee of the State Council，Mr. Ma Delun，former Deputy President of the People’s Bank of China，Mr. Long Guoqiang, Vice President of Development Research Center of the State Council, Mr. Hasan kosasih, Secretary General of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dato Hamdillah Wahab, Chief Advisor of National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Brunei Darussalam, Mr. Liu Guangxi, Chairman of CCPIT, Yunnan Sub-council, delivered speeches and discussed on the topics of the Belt and Road Initiative and people to people connections, the community of shared future, financial cooperation, trade flow, processing trade and industrial cooperation. They encouraged enterprises of China and Southeast Asian countries to seize the opportunities from the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthen exchanges, and deepen practical cooperation in various fields to achieve win-win outcomes.

At the forums of "Trade and Investment Facilitation and Connectivity" and "Industrial Park Construction and Financial Cooperation", guests from China and Southeast Asian countries had a lively discussion on related topics and gave positive suggestions to the Belt and Road Initiative, deepening trade and investment cooperation between Southeast Asian countries and China to achieve common development and prosperity.

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