More fresh flowers to be sold to Laos

"It’s good news! After implementation of the RCEP, tariff cuts and faster customs clearance will allow Yunnan fresh flowers to get through the border gate within 6 hours," said Li Xin, owner of a Vientiane-based flower shop.

Since Yunnan is famous for flowers and close to Laos and Thailand, the Sichuan native Li decided to start a cross-border business in Laos, selling fresh flowers from Yunnan to the ASEAN market.

"Yunnan and Laos used to be connected by international buses. Since the China-Laos railway is open to traffic, the future potential of the Laos market is even greater," added Li, who is delighted by his right decision.

Now, flowers at Li’s shop are favored by Chinese and Laotians alike, and some of the customers live outside Vientiane, including local flower vendors and students.

Over the years, Yunnan flowers have been transported to Li’s shop via buses, cold chain vehicles and China-Laos trains in succession, and the customs clearance time has been reduced to a few hours to from 3 or 4 days.

“With the inception of China-Laos and the RCEP pact, I’m looking forward to a brighter future," Li said.

Reporting by Qin Xuedan (Yunnan Daily); Trans-editing by Yang Xuan