The opening ceremony for Mengkang Port on China-Laos border was held at the No. 7 Sino-Laos Boundary Monument on the morning of December 28, 2013. Mr. Qian Dewei, Deputy Secretary of Pu'er Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Pu'er City, Khamjane Vongphosy, member of the Central Committee of Laos People Revolutionary Political Party, Secretary of Phongsaly Provincial Party Committee and Governor of Phongsaly Province, attended the high-profile event and delivered speeches.

Qian, on behalf of Pu'er Municipal Party Committee and Pu'er Municipal Government, extended congratulations to the opening of the port and expressed warm welcome to the leaders and guests from Phongsaly Province of Laos.

In his address, Qian noted that Pu'er City, as one of two Chinese cities adjacent to Laos, shared a 116-kilometer-long border line with Phongsaly Province of Laos. Since the establishment of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, China has stepped up its efforts to build its key southwestern economic bridgehead cities to the neighboring countries, and Sino-Laos border areas have enjoyed unprecedented cooperative opportunities. The official opening of Mengkang Port marked the bilateral cooperation has been brought to a new high level, which would tremendously promote the export-oriented economy on both sides, and exert far-reaching and significant influence on the economic and trade cooperation and culture exchange of Pu'er City and Phongsaly Province.

On behalf of Laos side, Khamjane Vongphosy expressed appreciation of the long-term support and assistance from China, especially Pu'er City's assistance to Phongsaly Province. The official opening of the Mengkang Port was a big event that people across the border had long awaited. People in Laos and China, the two countries with linked rivers and mountains, have enjoyed a time-honored friendship for generations.

He believed the opening of the port would usher in a new era for the overall cooperation between both countries, especially for Phongsaly Province and Pu'er City. The port would turn out to be the golden passage linking Yunnan and Southeast Asia and generate rich benefits for people in both countries and especially in Phongsaly Province and Pu'er City.

He hoped that in wake of the opening of the port, more efforts could be made by Laotian and Chinese governments to provide people living at both sides of the border with enough information and guidance, so as to encourage them to comply with related regulations, and drive the working staff and inhabitants of the twin ports and people entering and exiting the ports to emulate their counterparts' law-abiding actions with enhanced legal consciousness.

He said Phongsaly Provincial Party Committee and Phongsaly Provincial Government are ready to fulfill their duties to back up the smooth day-to-day operation of the twin ports in coming days.

After the opening ceremony, participants went on an onsite investigation tour to get informed of the construction progress for the twin ports.