China-Laos exhibition hall opens on Yangpu waterfront
The Laos Economic and Trade Cooperation Expo opens at the Shanghai Fashion Center along the Huangpu River.
An exhibition hall to showcase and foster economic and trade cooperation between China and Laos was launched on the waterfront of Shanghai's Yangpu District on Monday.
The Laos Economic and Trade Cooperation Expo, unveiled at the Shanghai Fashion Center along the Huangpu River, is set to be a permanent display, showcasing Laotian history, culture, and products, alongside its historical ties with China, and as a trading service platform.
The new space includes an entrance hall, four themed exhibition areas, a roadshow touring hall, and a section for experiencing Laotian cuisine. The exhibits, featuring digital sandboxes and curved screens, illustrate the cultural and economic interactions between China and the Southeast Asian country.
The establishment of the site follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding at the 5th China International Import Expo last year between the Yangpu District government and the Lao Ministry of Industry and Trade's trade promotion department. The MoU marked the beginning of Yangpu's first national-level project under the Belt and Road Initiative.
The new exhibition hall will facilitate the expansion of Yangpu products into the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) market and enhance the district's export-oriented economy, the Yangpu government said.
Laotian and Shanghai officials jointly launch the Laos Economic and Trade Cooperation Expo in Yangpu District.
It will also streamline the entry of agricultural products from Laos and ASEAN into Shanghai. The hall will boost commodity consumption in Yangpu, contribute to Shanghai's development as an international consumption center city and expand the CIIE's spillover effects, the government said.
Under the MoU, Yangpu will provide digital and traffic resources to support sales of premium Laotian agricultural goods in China, merging online commerce with traditional trading methods.
The district is positioned to become a central import hub for Laotian agricultural products in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta region, a Yangpu government official said.
Yangpu will also combine its new energy storage technology with Laos' rich wind, light and hydropower resources to help achieve China's dual-carbon goal. China aims to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
Furthermore, the downtown district plans to help construct the China-Laos economic and trade cooperation new channel, with cooperation between Shanghai, neighboring Anhui, southwestern Yunnan and central Hunan provinces.
The Yangpu Commerce Commission said that the comprehensive implementation of the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) and the full operation of the China-Laos Railway have elevated Laos' strategic position and radiating function.
The deepened cooperation will promote regional interconnectivity, release market potential, contribute to regional development and prosperity, and support global economic recovery and growth, according to the commission.
Laotian products are on display at the exhibition hall.
