(KPL) Lao and Chinese officials and journalists attended an opening ceremony for a cultural and tropical rainforest tourism festival 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 21.

The festival was co-organised by authorities of Luang Namtha, Phongsaly, Bokeo, Luang Prabang and Oudomxay provinces of Laos and Yunnan, China.

Attending the event also included Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Thongphat Vongmany, Lao Consul General to Kunming Pongdong Paxaphackdy, Deputy Head of China 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.

“Laos and China share the same mountains and rivers and rely on each other. “Tropical rainforest” is our green house. In October 2023, General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith signed an action plan on building a new Laos-China community with a shared future. The two leaders agreed on building an ecological civilisation and use cooperation on this matter as a tool to improve the living conditions of people of the two countries. This Cultural and Tropical Rainforest Festival aims to deepen the implementation of the agreement reached by the top leaders of the two countries, increase people-to-people exchange in communities located along the Laos-china border, promote cross-border trade and tourism on a win-win basis,” said Chief of Mengla County.

A trade fair and a football match were also held on the sidelines of the festival.

The Lao and Chinese journalists also visited the Mengla Vocational High School which houses several Lao students.

KPL