(KPL) Lao and Chinese officials and journalists attended a cultural exchange event held in Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China to promote cultural exchange between five northern provinces of Laos and Yunnan Province of China on Jun 20. 
The event is part of a three-day programme (Jun 20-22), designed to promote relations and cooperation between Luang Namtha, Phongsaly, Bokeo, Luang Prabang and Oudomxay provinces of Laos and Yunnan, China.
Attending Thursday’s event included Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Thongphat Vongmany, Lao Consul General to Kunming Pongdong Paxaphackdy, Deputy Head of the Yunnan Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries Yuan Mindao, Vice Mayor of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture Xun Lu, leaders from the five border provinces of Laos and relevant officials from both sides. 

On this occasion, government and business leaders of Oudomxay Province signed agreements with their counterparts of Mengla County of Xishuangbanna on the building of friendship districts and villages, cross-border labour cooperation, and business cooperation. 
The Chinese side also granted five scholarships to Lao students to study at Mengla Vocational High School, Xishuangbanna.
Over the three days of the cultural exchange programme, the Lao and Chinese journalists will also visit cultural sites in Yunnan, attend the opening of the Culture and Rain Forest Tourism festival, and learn about the livelihoods of people living along the Laos-China border.
Since 2019, Lao and Chinese people living along the common border have enhanced cooperation and mutual help with leaders of both sides maintaining a regular exchange of visits to bring benefits to people of Laos and China. 
The cooperation between both sides has focused on infrastructure development in rural areas, vocational training, agriculture, biological protection, education and health.