Pilot FTZs in Yunnan, Hunan forge partnership

The pilot free trade zones (FTZs) in the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Hunan recently signed an agreement on coordinated opening-up to the ASEAN market via the China-Laos rail link.

The two pilot FTZs will also join hands in innovation, development and investment promotion, and under the backdrop of RCEP taking effect, they will focus on cooperation in trade supply chains, customs clearance and cross-border e-commerce.

Laos opened a consulate general in Hunan years ago. Now the Hunan cities of Changsha and Huaihua have launched freight trains to Laos, giving a strong pull to international trade and logistics.

Reporting by Huang Tingting (Hunan Daily); Trans-editing by Wang Shixue