From July 23 to 25, the Lancang-Mekong Young Entrepreneurs Forum, with the theme "Deepen Cooperation, Share Prosperity", was held in Kunming, capital of Southwest China’s Yunnan Province. Over 100 representatives of youth organizations and young entrepreneurs from the six countries of the Lancang-Mekong region attended the event.

The Lancang-Mekong Young Entrepreneurs Forum opens in Kunming, capital of Southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on July 23. 

In her opening remarks, Wang Yi, Vice President of the All-China Youth Federation (ACYF), noted that young people represent the future of a country and the hope for Lancang-Mekong cooperation.

The building of a closer community with a shared future of peace and prosperity for Lancang-Mekong countries relies on the efforts of youth, Wang said. 

She called on youth organizations and young entrepreneurs from the Lancang-Mekong countries to enhance youth exchanges, strengthen people-to-people connectivity, uphold innovation-driven development, foster pragmatic cooperation, and deepen integrated development to achieve common prosperity. 

Wang Zhengying, Vice Governor of Yunnan Provincial People's Government, emphasized that Yunnan has consistently expanded Lancang-Mekong cooperation, practiced the Lancang-Mekong spirit, and promoted the Lancang-Mekong culture, yieldingfruitful outcomes in exchanges and cooperationin various fields. 

He invited young entrepreneurs from the Lancang-Mekong countries to visit, learn about and invest in Yunnan, jointly share the opportunities the province offers, and work together to create a brighter future for a shared community of Lancang-Mekong countries. 

Teerin Tanyawattanakul, President of Young Entrepreneurs Chamber of Commerce Thailand, noted that the Lancang-Mekong countries are geographically connected, culturally linked, and rich in resources, with great potential for cooperation. 

He called on young entrepreneurs from the six countries to fully tap into regional advantages, and expand cooperation to new fields. 

He expressed the hope of further strengthening coordination and cooperation with China in a bid to jointly build the forum into an international cooperation platform for young entrepreneurs across multiple fields and at deeper levels.

In his video address, Wu Xiaofeng, Counsellor of the Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, noted that young entrepreneurs, who are the most dynamic and pioneering group, are playing an important role in the construction of the Lancang-Mekong Economic Development Belt.

He expressed the hope that young entrepreneurs from the Lancang-Mekong countries can fully exchange their views with each other, and share ideas on enhancing regional economic integration. 

Yu Lu, Research Fellow of the Center for International Knowledge on Development, the Development Research Center of the State Council, and Phan Thanh Thien, Vice President of Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association (VYEA), delivered keynote speeches at the opening ceremony, expressing the vision of promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and Lancang-Mekong cooperation. 

Other distinguished guests, including Ji Lin, Director of China Chamber of International Commerce Trade Promotion Center, Oknha Pech Bolen, President of Young Entrepreneurs Association of Cambodia, Souvaly Khamphoui, Acting President of Young Entrepreneurs Association of Laos, Thin Thin Kyaw, President of Myanmar Young Entrepreneurs Association, Kraisorn Chatlekavanich, President of Young Entrepreneurs Chamber of Commerce Thailand Connect International, and Phan Thanh Thien, Vice President of the VYEA, attended the Dialogue of Lancang-Mekong Young Entrepreneurs Cooperation. 

They called on all sectors of society to strengthen dialogue and coordination, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and support the development of young entrepreneurs from the Lancang-Mekong countries. They emphasized the need to continuously explore models for the sustainable development of the regional economy, and jointly foster a secure and stable business environment, bringing more opportunities for youth development and economic cooperation in the Lancang-Mekong region. 

Foreign youth representatives attending the forum said that in the face of the current turbulent international situation, strengthening cooperation among young entrepreneurs in the region plays a positive role in promoting regional peace, stability, and sustainable development.

They called on young entrepreneurs from the Lancang-Mekong countries to seize the opportunity of Belt and Road cooperation, tap into the Lancang-Mekong cooperation platform, and contribute youth driving force to the building of a community with a shared future for Lancang-Mekong countries, in a bid to continuously elevate Lancang-Mekong cooperation to new heights.

The "Kunming Declaration on Young Entrepreneurs Cooperation of the Lancang-Mekong Countries" was released at the forum, where consensus was reached on establishing a cooperation mechanism for young entrepreneurs from the Lancang-Mekong countries. 

Participants called on young entrepreneurs from the Lancang-Mekong countries to adhere to the principle of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, engage in innovation-driven development, and contribute wisdom and strength to the building of a closer community with shared future for Lancang-Mekong countries.

Representatives from China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam read the "Kunming Declaration on Young Entrepreneurs Cooperation of the Lancang-Mekong Countries" at the Lancang-Mekong Young Entrepreneurs Forum in Kunming, capital of Southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on July 23.

During the forum, activities such as roundtable meetings for young entrepreneurs, on-site visits tolocal specialty industries, and dialogues with mayors were also held. Young entrepreneurs from the Lancang-Mekong countries engaged in in-depth exchanges on topics such as modern agriculture, green development, and technological innovation and connectivity, expressing a strong willingness for cooperation.

The Dialogue of Lancang-Mekong Young Entrepreneurs Cooperation is held during the Lancang-Mekong Young Entrepreneurs Forum in Kunming, capital of Southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on July 23. 

The forum was proposed by Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the fourth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting in December 2023, which aimed to deepen pragmatic cooperation among young people from the Lancang-Mekong countries, and promote the growth of the Lancang-Mekong Economic Development Belt.

It was organized by the ACYF and the China-ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Association, and co-organized by the China International Youth Exchange Center, the Yunnan Youth Federation, and the Kunming Municipal People’s Government.