2024 China-Laos Border Residents’ Gala was held in Mengla, Xishuangbanna Prefecture. China and Laos signed agreements and made donations in many fields.
The 2024 China-Laos Border Residents' Carnival, with the theme of "Mountains and Rivers Connecting and Sharing Rainforests", will last until the 22nd. It will include the signing of agreements, project donations, the "International Lao Geng" fair of China-Laos border residents and media experience activities, fully demonstrating the achievements of friendly cooperation and development in the China-Laos border area.
The event was guided by the China People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and hosted by the Yunnan People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the People's Government of Xishuangbanna Prefecture and the Lao Consulate General in Kunming.
On the same day, Mengla County of Xishuangbanna Prefecture and Mengxai County of Oudomxay Province of Laos signed a "Friendship County Letter of Intent", and the Maocaoshan Village Group of Huiluo Village Committee of Mengban Town of Mengla County and the Maocaoshan Village Group of Bennu County of Phongsali Province of Laos signed a "Friendship Village Agreement". The Human Resources and Social Security Bureau of Mengla County and the Labor and Social Welfare Bureau of Bennu County of Phongsali Province of Laos signed a "Cross-border Labor Cooperation Agreement", and Menghai County Liming Farm Group Co., Ltd. signed an "Overseas Agricultural Strategic Cooperation Agreement" with the Lao National Agricultural and Sideline Products Distribution Center and International Logistics Co., Ltd.
At the donation ceremony, the Provincial Friendship Association donated the "Heart-to-Heart Yunnan Tour" aid project to the Lao Consulate General in Kunming; the China Friendship and Peace Development Foundation donated the China-Southeast Asia Scholarship to Mengla County Vocational High School. Two pairs of villagers in Manlie Village, China and Mannakham Village, Laos, became "friendly pairing family demonstration households."
Yunnan is the only province bordering China and Laos. In recent years, the "visiting relatives" style mutual visits between Yunnan and Laos have become increasingly close, and cooperation in multiple fields has continued to heat up. At present, Yunnan Province and Laos have established 8 pairs of international sister cities and 4 pairs of friendly villages. Yunnan-Laos cooperation has always been at the forefront of local cooperation between the two countries. Yunnan Province has successively implemented 28 "Heart-to-Heart Yunnan Tour" small and beautiful projects in Laos, covering agriculture, education, health, biodiversity protection and other fields, and achieved practical results.
Since 2022, Mengla County, Yunnan Province and Laos have jointly held the "China-Laos Border Residents Grand Gathering" event, with a total of more than 200,000 participants, becoming an important platform for people-to-people exchanges between the two sides to enhance friendship and deepen cooperation and development.