Young international entrepreneurs explore cooperation opportunities in Yunnan

Thirty-one young entrepreneurs from 16 countries gathered in Kunming this week to tour Yunnan province's coffee, fresh-cut flowers, and biopharmaceutical industries, as part of a three-day dialogue aimed at identifying opportunities for trade and investment cooperation.

The 2026 International Sister Cities Young Entrepreneurs Dialogue ran from Wednesday to Friday and also included youth representatives from Yunnan's international sister cities and international students.

Participants visited multiple cities across the province during the trip.

Several attendees said Yunnan's industrial development offered lessons transferable to their home countries. Leonid Petukhin, deputy chairman of the Russia-China Friendship Association, said the dialogue gave young entrepreneurs from various countries a forum to exchange ideas, and expressed hope it would deepen cooperation between Russia and Yunnan.

Bounmy Samliboun, deputy secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Youth Union's Oudomxay Provincial Committee, said the exchange would help young Lao entrepreneurs develop distinctive local industries and raise incomes. He called for more young entrepreneurs to visit Yunnan and bring back practices in innovation, entrepreneurship, industrial operations, market promotion, and e-commerce.

Dhakal Sashank, CTO of Nepal's Makalu Group, said he was particularly interested in Yunnan's green energy sector, which he described as a potential model for Nepal's hydropower industry. He said he hopes the event leads to a platform through which young professionals from Nepal and Yunnan can collaborate on smart agriculture, green energy, and sustainable infrastructure.

Zheng Jiarui contributed to this story.