On the morning of June 8, 2015, the 8th Conference of the World Yunnan Community Federation opened in Pu'er, Tea Source of the World themed with "Recall of Nostalgia & Love of Yunnan-- A Rendezvous in Pu'er, Tea Source of the World for Joint Development" with adherence to the purpose of "Unity, Friendship, Cooperation and Development". The Conference aims to recall the strong nostalgia and deep friendship among Yunnan countrymen and encourages them to look ahead to the future development of Pu'er.

The opening ceremony of the Conference was attended by Qiu Yuanping, Director of Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, Huang Yi, Member of Yunnan province's Party Standing Committee and Head of the provincial United Front Work Department, Qiao Wei, Vice President of All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (ACFROC) and Zhang Dengliang, Party Leadership Group Member of Yunnan Provincial Government.

The Conference received a congratulatory letter from China Overseas Friendship Association. 400 Yunnan countrymen and distinguished guests from 19 countries and regions inlcuding Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Norway, France, Russia, South Africa, Italy, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan attended the Conference.

At the opening ceremony, Qiu Yuanping, on behalf of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, expressed her warm congratulations in her speech to the convening of the Conference.

Qiu pointed out that overseas Chinese affairs are part of Yunnan Province, one of the five provinces with overseas Chinese affairs, of which over 2.5 million natives are resident abroad. She emphasized that overseas Chinese have played an active bridge role in and made great contributions to promoting the economic and social development of Yunnan and enhancing foreign exchanges and cooperation within Yunnan.

The World Yunnan Community Federation has developed itself into an important platform for overseas Yunnan countrymen to strengthen friendship and cooperation, and seek common development, added Director Qiu. She also expressed her belief that the Conference would definitely strengthen the familylike bond between overseas Yunnan countrymen and stimulate their strong enthusiasm for the home construction to seek common development and achieve a win-win situation in Yunnan.

Huang Yi, Member of Yunnan province's Party Standing Committee and Head of the provincial United Front Work Department, put it that the all-out efforts made by Yunnan countrymen are indispensable in building Yunnan Province into a national unity and progress demonstration zone, a ecological civilization construction vanguard, and a radiation center for South and Southeast Asia. Huang expressed his sincere wishes that all the overseas Chinese would participate in all the construction work across Yunnan so as to jointly achieve a new development.

Vice President of ACFROC Qiao Wei expressed his hope that all the Yunnan countrymen would, taking the Conference as an opportunity, positively and unitedly join in the China's (Yunnan's) construction endeavors and make greater contributions to writing a splendid chapter in Yunnan on the way to achieving the dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

At the opening ceremony, Wei Xing, Party Secretary of CPC Pu'er committee, delivered a welcome address, and Ma Jianbo, representative of overseas Yunnan countrymen from Thailand, gave a speech.

During the Conference, a series of exciting activities with distinctive Yunnan features would be organized, including youth culture salons, investment promotion activities, promotion events of tourism products, "Harmonious Overseas Chinese Community" forums, national culture performances, tea culture forums and the like.