Yunnan University hosts a workshop on April 28 to discuss how to develop Yunnan province into an economic and cultural hub with influence throughout South and Southeast Asia. [Photo/ynu.edu.cn]

Yunnan University (YNU) hosted a workshop on April 28 to discuss measures for developing Yunnan province into an influential hub of South and Southeast Asia.

The workshop was sponsored by YNU and the Yunnan People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and hosted by the Research Center for Diplomacy with Foreign Countries.

Li Pei, deputy director of the standing committee of the Yunnan People’s Congress, Chen Hong, director of the Committee for Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs of the Yunnan People’s Congress, Zhou Hong, president of the Yunnan People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Yang Zeyu and Li Chenyang, vice-presidents of YNU, and Hu Zhengyue, vice-chairman of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, took part in the discussion. 

Other attendees included several former Chinese ambassadors to countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos, and Brunei, as well as representatives from some think tanks in Yunnan province and universities from across the country. 

Li Pei delivered a speech at the opening ceremony in which he briefed attendees on Yunnan’s efforts to develop the Belt and Road Initiative and strengthen connections with neighboring countries.

He encouraged people to share their insights into how Yunnan could be built into an economic and cultural center with influence throughout South and Southeast Asia.

Yang Zeyu congratulated YNU on the opening of the workshop before outlining the university’s work in education, its integration of education and industry, and its cooperation with other universities.

He promised that YNU would continue to support the building of Yunnan into an influential regional hub while also building itself into a world-class university.

During the workshop, experts and scholars held a heated discussion on how to accelerate Yunnan’s development.

YNU currently has China’s largest and most comprehensive center for research on South and Southeast Asian countries. It has established the Institute for Diplomacy with Neighboring Countries, the Institute for the Belt and Road Initiative, the Institute for Myanmar Studies, and the Institute for India Studies.