Dien Bien (VNA) – The International Investment Promotion Conference 2026 between Vietnam’s Dien Bien province, China’s Yunnan province and Laos’s Luang Prabang province was held in Dien Bien on October 19, seeking to strengthen economic ties and mobilise resources for socio-economic development.

The conference focused on cooperation in infrastructure, border trade, agricultural product processing, energy and tourism, with investment approvals and cooperation agreements involving tens of trillions of Vietnamese dong announced.

In his opening remarks, Secretary of the Dien Bien Provincial Party Committee Tran Tien Dung emphasised the province’s unique position as Vietnam’s only locality bordering both Laos and China, presenting opportunities to grow into a regional hub for trade, investment, and development cooperation.

Dien Bien also has abundant agricultural and natural resources, historical attractions and distinctive cultural identities. Its economy grew 9.81% in the first nine months of 2026, while 31 projects with registered investment capital exceeding 54 trillion VND (over 2 billion USD) were approved in principle.

The province has identified three priority areas for cooperation, namely transport connectivity, logistics, border trade and processing industries; commercial agriculture and deep processing linked to the green economy; and historical, cultural, ecological and resort tourism.

The official said that Dien Bien hopes to work with Yunnan and Luang Prabang to develop integrated supply and value chains, increase agricultural product value, expand markets and establish internationally attractive tourism routes. It also pledged to streamline administrative procedures, make planning information transparent and improve the business environment.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu called for turning cooperation priorities into feasible projects, with coordinated links between infrastructure, border gates, logistics, production and markets. He stressed that cooperation should facilitate goods circulation, expand business opportunities and create jobs and higher incomes for local residents.

At the conference, investment approval decisions were granted to 20 investors for projects totaling over 7.5 trillion VND in capital. Additionally, memoranda of understanding were exchanged between Dien Bien and six investors, representing nearly 12 trillion VND in registered capital.

The agreements spanned industrial park infrastructure, renewable energy, mineral exploration and processing, urban development, resorts, tourism, trade, services and social housing.

Five secondary investors have also been connected with Thanh An Industrial Park and Thanh Yen 2 Industrial Cluster, with combined registered capital exceeding 2 trillion VND and plans to employ nearly 2,000 local workers. Proposed facilities include agricultural and medicinal herb processing plants, cold storage and post-processing preservation facilities.

The conference also established a cross-border tourism route linking Yunnan, Dien Bien, Laos and Thailand to connect destinations and attract international visitors.

Participants from government agencies, investment promotion organisations and businesses called for better transport, border-gate and logistics connectivity, alongside deeper cooperation in production, investment, processing and cross-border supply chains.

Sun Fenglei, Chairman of the Chinese Business Association in Vietnam, described the conference as an effective platform for connecting authorities and businesses, mobilising resources and advancing practical cooperation. He added that in the coming time, the association will continue bringing reputable Chinese companies to explore investment opportunities and establish long-term operations in Dien Bien.

Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Khamphao Enrthavanh expressed confidence that stronger coordination among local authorities and businesses will expand border trade and translate memoranda of understanding into concrete programmes, projects and contracts, contributing to socio-economic development and improved livelihoods in border areas while strengthening the special friendship between Laos and Vietnam./.