By Eric Wang

Yunnan’s All-Round Opening-up to ASEAN

By Eric Wang

The Joint Check Center of Ruili Port provides one-stop clearance service.

About the author: Eric Wang is a correspondent with Yunnan Gateway (www.yunnangateway.com).

On the second leg of the China-ASEAN Media Journey on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road 2016, 15 ASEAN media representatives traveled to Southwest China’s Yunnan Province. They stopped in Kunming, the provincial capital, Qujing, an industrial city in eastern Yunnan, and the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in western Yunnan. The delegates were impressed with Yunnan’s efforts in opening up to its ASEAN neighbors.

People-to-People Exchanges

Yunnan, as a province adjacent to Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, has set up joint check centers in border cities and towns to facilitate bilateral exchanges. The Joint Check Center of Ruili Port on the China-Myanmar border is always busy with people and vehicles traveling in and out of China.

Ruili has set up a service center for cross-border workers. In the first 10 months of 2016, the center provided registration certificates (documents for legal employment in China) to around 16,000 cross-border workers, mainly from Myanmar.

At the center, scores of young people from Myanmar were waiting in line for registration certificates. Myanmar journalists Khing Maumg Htwe and Zin Thu Htet turned their cameras on them. The Myanmar workers said they can earn around 120-150 yuan (US$20-25) per day. The journalists encouraged them to work harder and earn even more.

At the Ruili International Vocational Training School attached to Yunnan Nationalities University, Director Luo Hailin told reporters: “We provide onthe-spot training for new workers from Myanmar to help them adapt to the labor market. Our training courses include Chinese language, local security regulations, healthcare knowledge and vocational skills.”

As of now, the school has carried out more than 40 training sessions in local hotels, restaurants and factories. According to Luo, most Myanmar youngsters have interest in learning the Chinese language.

In response to a question from Singaporean reporter Zhang Dan, Luo said Yunnan Nationalities University plans to upgrade the school to an independent college to meet the vocational training needs of cross-border workers from ASEAN countries. He added that the university also has similar training programs for Lao workers in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and for Vietnamese workers in Wenshan Zhuang

Autonomous Prefecture.

Enterprises in Yunnan have also contributed to fostering people-to-people exchanges between China and ASEAN.

In an interview with the reporters, Yang Hua, general manager of the Kunming-based Yunnan International Company of China Southern Power Grid (CSG), said his company has set up scholarship programs for Lao students to major in medicine and engineering at Yunnan’s higher education institutions. As a result, the number of Lao students learning in Yunnan is on the rise. In addition, the company has teamed up with the Thailand-based Mekong Institute to carry out vocational training for professionals in international electricity trade.

ASEAN journalists interview representatives of the Yunnan International Company of China Southern Power Grid.

Production Capacity Cooperation

Based on people-to-people exchanges, Yunnan businesses have carried out pragmatic production capacity cooperation with ASEAN countries. Having been briefed about CSG’s hydropower projects in Laos, a power cooperation project in Hanoi, and the Memorandum of Understanding signed with Cambodian Royal Power Company, Lao reporter Keutkhuanchai Malychansy said he hoped that the company could help build the China-Laos railway.

In carrying out the Hanoi power project, the company will mainly employ local workers and the project will be managed by Vietnamese companies upon completion. Vietnamese correspondent Dao Phuong Lam inquired about the challenges in Sino-Vietnamese power cooperation, offering to report to his government the challenges. Chea Vannak, deputy director of the Overseas News Department of Cambodian Agence Kampuchea Presse, suggested that the CSG should carry out cooperation with Cambodia in solar and wind energy.

In recent years, the CSG Yunnan International Company has positively engaged in power-grid building in ASEAN countries. Its practice of localization in project management is welcomed by the local people.

“We aim to make our projects beneficial for local economic growth and the well-being of the local people,” Yang said.

Yang said his company has built schools, hospitals and temples for relocated residents, while also getting on well with locals and giving out aid to those in need.

While constructing the hydropower project in Laos, Yang said his company has built schools, hospitals and temples for relocated residents, while also getting on well with locals and giving out aid to those in need. In addition to the power projects, the company’s power trade with ASEAN countries has been increasing, which is beneficial for fostering power grid interconnectivity.

In addition to power trade, Yunnan exports industrial products to ASEAN countries. Qujing is an industrial city, and it exports cars, garments and vegetables to Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and other countries.

“In 2015, Qujing’s export volume to ASEAN reached 113 million yuan [US$16.6 million],” said Qujing Vice Mayor Dong Baotong.

Cambodian reporter Noy Kimhong commented that he hopes to see more commercial activities between Qujing and his country.

At the Yinxiang motorbike factory in Ruili, ASEAN reporters were impressed by a spectacular array of motorbikes.

“We have an annual output of 500,000 motorbikes, 80 percent of which are exported to Myanmar,” said a factory manager. Some workers are from Myanmar and were trained at the Ruili vocational school. In the new products showroom, Brunei reporter Roseraghadah Mohamad enthusiastically posed for a photo with a new motorcycle.

Local Authorities’ Role

As people-to-people exchanges become more frequent, the Joint Check Center of Ruili Port provides one-stop clearance service.

“In 2014, it took one hour to finish each customs clearance,” said Yang Hongliang, a local foreign trade official.“Now it takes only 15 minutes. Fresh seafood can be cleared within five minutes.”In 2015, a total of 17.97 million people and 4 million vehicles traveled through the check center.

Si Shuming, board chairman of the CSG Yunnan International Company, disclosed that the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and five Chinese provincial governments have recently agreed to aid the company’s overseas business. Meanwhile, the company plans to host a Lancang-Mekong electric power summit, so that officials and entrepreneurs from ASEAN and China related to electric power can gather to exchange ideas.

Qujing Vice Mayor Dong attaches great importance to information sharing for production capacity cooperation. Dong said Qujing has some overcapacity in the energy sector and the metallurgy industry. His city plans to set up a Qujing-ASEAN communication center to foster deeper mutual understanding for cooperation with ASEAN countries. Qujing also plans to establish sister-city partnerships with ASEAN cities.