Chairman of the Yibin Committee, Chinese Chamber of Commerce to Laos representative, officials from the information, culture and tourism and agriculture and forestry sectors along with agribusiness entrepreneurs and tourism operators from Laos and China attended the conference.

The meeting took place in the spirit of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Laos-China ‘community with a shared future’ as part of boosting bilateral cooperation.

Yibin, the First City of the Yangtze River and also the ‘City of Liquor’ in China, governs three districts and seven counties, with an area of 13,283 km2 and a population of 5.56 million.

Its economic aggregate ranks fourth in Sichuan province, and first in southern Sichuan at the juncture of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces.

In 2018, its GDP hit a record high of RMB202.637 billion, continuing to maintain fourth place in Sichuan, while its economic growth rate reached 9.2 percent, ranking second in the whole province.

Yibin is a key industrial city in Sichuan with several leading enterprises such as Wuliangye, a liquor leader, and Grace, a state-level innovative producer. Its modern industrial system covering intelligent terminals, rail transit, automobiles and new materials has taken shape.

The added value of industrial enterprises above the designated size grew by 11.3 percent, ranking second in the province. Relying on its advantages in bamboo, tea, cattle, silkworms and other sectors, Yibin has become an important agricultural base in Sichuan.

Laos and China have a long tradition of cooperation and friendly relations through their shared border and similar cultures and traditions.

Yibin is a Chinese partner of Laos that is eager to expand development cooperation into the future.

Laos has tremendous potential in agriculture with abundant fertile land for industrial and commercial crops, and the government is keen for Yibin businesses to invest in the country, according to agriculture officials. 

Currently, many Chinese companies are investing in Lao agriculture, mainly in bananas, maize, rubber and tea, boosting bilateral trade and investment.

Through the conference, Lao authorities hope to attract more Chinese visitors and encourage entrepreneurs from the northern neighbour to further invest in Laos.