Belt and Road China-Laos Business Environment Legal Seminar Convened in Vientiane, Laos

On March 31, 2018, the Belt and Road China-Laos Business Environment Legal Seminar was held at the Jingchang Hotel in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Following the establishment of its liaison office in Laos in May of the previous year, Zhejiang T&H Law Firm once again led a delegation to Laos against the backdrop of the current push for optimizing the legal service environment for business – with the aim of fostering a sound China-Laos business environment through the joint efforts of the legal and business communities of both countries.

The seminar was organized by the Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce in Vientiane, Lao PDR, Zhejiang T&H Law Firm, and CLX Lao-China Law Firm. The Lao delegation included Mr. Yang Funing, General Manager of Dongchang Hotel in Vientiane and China-Laos Cultural Ambassador; Mr. Zhang Xianming, Vice President of the Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce in Vientiane and Chairman of Vientiane Dalasa Market (Huaxin Development Co., Ltd.); and representatives from BBL (Laos) Agricultural Resources Co., Ltd. and Lao Nonferrous Metals Mining Co., Ltd., among other Lao business leaders. The Chinese delegation was primarily represented by Dr. Wang Zheng, Director of Zhejiang T&H Law Firm; Attorneys Xia Enfeng and Cao Yunlei of CLX Lao-China Law Firm; and several enterprise representatives from the Executive MBA Class 7 of the School of Management at Zhejiang University.

Through thorough discussion and active consultation between the two delegations, the seminar yielded productive outcomes, culminating in the following four-point consensus: First, to jointly promote the establishment of an ASEAN Arbitration Center; Second, to jointly build a China-Laos investment information exchange platform; Third, to jointly facilitate cross-border financial channels between China and Laos; Fourth, to jointly launch the first project investment fund in Laos.

This marked the first time that legal and business communities had traveled together to Laos to jointly address the enhancement of the business environment. This in-depth exchange between the Chinese and Lao legal and business sectors effectively aligned the needs of investors from both countries for an improved business environment and a broader cooperation platform. The Lao attorneys' interpretation of their country's relevant investment policies, regulations, and legal provisions provided clear pathways for protecting the lawful rights and interests of Chinese investors in Laos. This collaboration not only facilitates more effective and cost-efficient due diligence for cross-border investments by investors from both nations, but also enables lawyers from both countries to expand their presence in the international legal services market and broaden the scope of their legal service offerings. The significance of this initiative in fostering a business environment of connectivity and mutual benefit between China and Laos cannot be overstated.