From November 18 to November 19, 2025, the 2025 Forum on Lancang-Mekong Local Government Cooperation and Dialogue between Historic and Cultural Cities of Lancang-Mekong Countries was successfully held in Dali, Yunnan. The event was hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and co-organized by the Yunnan Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the People's Government of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province.
This year's forum, themed "Subnational Cooperation for a Shared Future", brought together more than 200 representatives from government, economy and trade, business, culture, tourism, media, and other sectors. Participants included delegates from 13 Chinese provinces and municipalities—Yunnan, Beijing, Shanxi, Liaoning, Shanghai, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, and Shaanxi—as well as 17 provinces and cities of the five Mekong countries. Wang Ning, Secretary of the CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Yunnan Provincial People's Congress; Yang Wanming, President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC); Viengsavath Siphandone, Secretary of the Luang Namtha Provincial Committee of Laos; Phan Huy Ngoc, Deputy Secretary of the Tuyen Quang Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee of Vietnam; and Kim Pinun, Under Secretary of State of the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks. Zhao Chenggang, Minister Counsellor of the Asian Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, delivered a keynote speech. Xu Hao, Vice Governor of Yunnan Province, presided over the opening ceremony. Ji Yongjun, Deputy Secretary-General of the CPAFFC; Chatree Wattanakhajorn, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration of Thailand; Zaw Win, Minister of the Resources Department of the Yangon Region Government of Myanmar, together with leaders of Lancang-Mekong local governments, as well as consuls general and diplomatic representatives of the five Mekong countries stationed in Kunming, attended the relevant activities of the forum.
Wang Ning emphasized that the six Lancang-Mekong countries share the same river and are bound by a common destiny. Under the strategic leadership of President Xi Jinping and the leaders of the other countries, Lancang-Mekong cooperation has flourished over the past decade. It has become a golden bond for shared opportunities, a green bond for ecological protection, and a bond of public support for building happiness. The construction of a Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future has seen remarkable progress, and subnational cooperation has achieved fruitful results. Yunnan will continue to implement the decisions made by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, promote the Lancang-Mekong spirit, strengthen subnational exchanges, and work with other subnational governments to promote mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. Yunnan aims to explore new potential in trade, investment, cross-border production capacity, and the digital economy, and develop a model for shared growth along the China-Laos railway. Yunnan will prioritize ecological, green development, expand cooperation in new energy, bio-economy, and other fields, and create a model for green development in the Lancang-Mekong region. Yunnan will promote friendly relations, expand cooperation in areas such as culture, poverty reduction, and youth, and build a model for peaceful, prosperous border-area development, contributing to the next golden decade of Lancang-Mekong cooperation.
President Yang Wanming stated that this year marks the golden decade for Lancang-Mekong cooperation. Under the important guidance of President Xi Jinping on strengthening Lancang-Mekong cooperation, China and the five Mekong countries have created a cooperative framework based on the Lancang-Mekong spirit of "development first, equal consultation, practicality and high efficiency, and openness and inclusiveness." This framework has been led by the leaders, comprehensively covered, and involved all sectors. Over the five years since the founding of the Forum on Lancang-Mekong Local Government Cooperation, it has made positive contributions to expanding subnational cooperation, deepening people-to-people friendship, and promoting regional economic integration. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee has approved the "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal, which clearly emphasizes China's commitment to expanding high-level opening up and sharing development opportunities with the world, including the Mekong countries, to create a better future together. The CPAFFC is committed to working with all parties to strengthen the foundation of the Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future, focusing on innovation to improve subnational cooperation quality and efficiency, and strengthening the bonds to further deepen mutual understanding and friendship among the peoples of the Lancang-Mekong countries. The CPAFFC will continue to facilitate people-to-people exchanges, practical cooperation, cultural exchanges, and youth friendship, contributing to the accelerated construction of a peaceful and prosperous Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future.
Viengsavath Siphandone emphasized that Lancang-Mekong cooperation has yielded remarkable results over the past decade. The six countries have diligently implemented the important consensus reached by their leaders and advanced cooperation in the three pillars and five priority areas, achieving what has been termed "Lancang-Mekong speed". This forum provides an important platform for subnational governments of the six countries to engage in mutual learning and cultural exchange. Luang Namtha Province, as Laos's gateway to China and ASEAN, will continue to leverage its geographical advantages to strengthen exchanges with Chinese subnational governments, jointly face global challenges, and realize mutual development.
Phan Huy Ngoc stated that subnational governments are not only key implementers of national cooperation visions, but also promoters of translating national-level agreements into specific, practical, and people-benefiting projects. Tuyen Quang Province is eager to expand practical cooperation with subnational governments of the Lancang-Mekong countries, deepen mutual understanding, and enhance people-to-people friendship, working together to build a united and prosperous Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future.
Kim Pinun noted that the six Lancang-Mekong countries share common cultural roots from thousands of years of interaction. He expressed hope that this forum would serve as an opportunity for subnational governments of the six countries to strengthen cultural exchanges and create more practical cooperation platforms, playing a greater role in enhancing mutual understanding and friendship among the peoples of the Lancang-Mekong countries and promoting regional unity, peace, and prosperity.
Zhao Chenggang remarked that in recent years, subnational governments in the Lancang-Mekong region have shown increasing enthusiasm for participating in Lancang-Mekong cooperation, with cooperation channels expanding and cooperation results becoming more evident, thereby strengthening people-to-people connectivity and laying the foundation for public support for Lancang-Mekong cooperation. He believes that this forum will effectively accelerate resource matching among the subnational governments, deepen practical cooperation, and inject new energy into promoting sustainable development in the Lancang-Mekong region.
The conference participants engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as "Cooperation of Local Governments for Global Governance", "Technology Empowerment for Ecological Prospect", "Protection and Revitalization of Historical Sites", and "Inheritance and Innovation of Cultural Heritage", reaching positive consensus on these issues. Following the forum, the Dali Declaration was issued, with all parties emphasizing their commitment to upholding the Lancang-Mekong spirit, actively implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping, and promoting the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. They pledged to strengthen subnational exchanges and cooperation, enhance mutual development of all countries, and contribute to the construction of a peaceful and prosperous Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future.
During the event, an exhibition showcasing the intangible cultural heritage and unique products of the Lancang-Mekong countries was held. After the forum, the foreign delegates visited local enterprises, experienced the ecological corridor of Erhai Lake, and conducted research on the protection of Dali's cultural heritage. They also studied China's modernization development experience and explored cooperation pathways in areas such as subnational governance, ecological protection, technological innovation, cultural inheritance, and the revitalization of historical sites.
