With a theme of connectivity, the 2024 Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Week event was held in Guangzhou on March 22. Participants visited the Guangzhou Metro Museum to learn about the development of Guangzhou's metro. A seminar on Guangzhou's rail transit and its practice under Lancang-Mekong Cooperation was also held during the event.
A total of about 40 people participated in the event, including government officials from Guangzhou, international students from Laos, and representatives of the Guangzhou Metro Group.
This year marks the 8th anniversary of LMC. China initiated the LMC Special Fund in 2016 with the aim of supporting small and medium-sized cooperation projects proposed by the six LMC countries, namely China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand.
"Since the launch of LMC, Guangzhou has promoted exchanges with other LMC countries, " said Tu Hongzhe, Deputy Director General of Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office. "Currently, Guangzhou has established a Friendship City relationship with Bangkok in Thailand, and Friendly City relationships with Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Ho Chi Minh, Binh Duong and Hanoi in Vietnam, and Attapeu Province in Laos,” he added.
Vanhpheng Saisomphou, Consul General of Laos in Guangzhou, said that LMC has been an important platform for fostering peace, stability, and prosperity in the LMC countries. "The Lao People's Democratic Republic has received a total of 80 approved projects with a combined amount of about 21 million USD. Currently, 30 projects have been completed, and 50 projects are ongoing," she added, noting that these projects cover infrastructure development and training.
Chen Ziliang, Senior Manager of the Marketing Department of Guangzhou Metro Group, said that Guangzhou Metro Group has been actively involved in international cooperation, forging partnerships with countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. In 2023, Guangzhou Metro Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ho Chi Minh City, setting the common goal of supporting the research and implementation of the development of Ho Chi Minh City's urban railway.
According to Xiang Chengjun, Vice Dean of the Department of International Cooperation of Guangzhou Railway Polytechnic (GRP), GRP signed a framework agreement with the Ministry of Education of Laos to collaborate on higher education in 2016, with a focus on training railway transportation talent. In September 2018, 17 students from vocational colleges in Laos started studying at GRP. After graduating in 2020, most of them joined the China-Laos Railway system. Currently, there are 43 students from Laos studying railway power supply technology and five other majors at GRP.
Vilinda Lutsapany, an international student from Laos studying at GRP, said that she has gained valuable professional knowledge about railway operation management. "After graduating, I plan to return to Laos to work in the railway sector, and I will dedicate myself to promoting the development of Lao railways," she added.