Yunnan province in southwest China has significantly expanded its international science and technology cooperation over the past five years, leveraging its border location to deepen exchanges with South and Southeast Asian countries.

At a recent press briefing, provincial officials highlighted that Yunnan's technology-driven openness has reached a new stage during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), with its influence across neighboring regions continuing to rise. Through platform-building, talent exchanges, and shared research, the province has strengthened technological linkages that now serve as an engine for broader regional collaboration.

One flagship achievement is a joint laboratory for the study of renewable energy co-established by China's Yunnan Normal University and Laos' Renewable Energy and New Material Research Institute. The laboratory has made notable progress in solar energy applications, new materials research, talent training, and technology dissemination.

Yunnan's cross-border cooperation with Vietnam has also deepened, particularly in agricultural technology. A high-quality feed research center established in recent years has evolved into one of central Vietnam's largest enterprises in the swine industry, demonstrating how technological collaboration can translate into industrial growth.

Over the past five years, Yunnan has elevated its cooperation architecture by establishing stable partnerships with multiple countries. The province has built 140 international joint laboratories and R&D centers, 10 overseas demonstration parks, and 14 national-level international cooperation bases, forming a comprehensive network of scientific collaboration.

The Tengchong Scientists Forum has attracted global researchers. Events such as the China-South Asia Technology Transfer and Collaborative Innovation have drawn participants from diverse countries.

Talent programs have further strengthened regional scientific capacity. Nearly 200 young scientists from South and Southeast Asia have conducted research or entrepreneurship activities in Yunnan, particularly in biology and agriculture.

The province has also hosted 27 technical training programs for developing countries, training more than 7,000 professionals, and becoming a hallmark of Lancang-Mekong human-resource cooperation.

To date, these efforts have yielded 110 new crop varieties, introduced 128 advanced technologies, and exported 65 suitable technologies abroad.