Border residents of Laos and China pursue growth in frontier cities

(ECNS) -- After the Chinese New Year holiday, a Laotian girl named Nanni (transliteration) returned from her hometown of Boten, a Laos-China border town, to resume work at a factory in Mohan, located in southwest China's Yunnan Province. She was accompanied by several fellow villagers seeking job opportunities.

Meanwhile, Zeng Xiangcheng, a restaurateur from southwest China’s Sichuan Province, traveled to Boten to explore locations for a new branch.

In recent years, Boten has seen a surge in Chinese investment, with high-rises springing up. An economic cooperation zone is driving growth in duty-free shopping, logistics, tourism, finance, education, and healthcare, attracting more people.

“Some media predict Boten’s population will reach 300,000 by 2035. I want to open a Sichuan restaurant here,” said Zeng.

Today, Mohan is a rising Chinese border city, while Boten, known as the "Shenzhen of Laos," is a special economic zone. Together, they are creating new opportunities for people in both countries.

The Boten-Mohan development is set to expand further. A cross-border fenced zone will be established along the China-Laos border, enabling seamless connectivity within the area, said Tang Shiqi, deputy director of the Bureau of Opening-up and Cross-border Cooperation Promotion at the Mohan-Boten Economic Cooperation Zone.

Tang noted that the planned fenced zone will leverage the policy advantages of both countries, facilitating the free movement of investment, trade, capital, transportation, and employment. The zone will also ensure rapid information exchange and offer maximum flexibility for industrial investment and development.

Mohan and Boten are strategically positioned at the crossroads of China’s Yunnan Province and Southeast Asia, with the Kunming-Bangkok highway running through them. Their locations have played a key role in their joint development.

In the early 1990s, China and Laos designated Mohan and Boten as national-level ports, paving the way for a steady flow of trucks across the border. In 2016, the Mohan-Boten Economic Cooperation Zone was established, strengthening bilateral economic ties.

With the launch of the China-Laos Railway in 2021, a major international corridor connecting China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has gradually taken shape, with Mohan and Boten serving as key hubs.