On December 8, 2025, the Laos-Singapore Promotion Association was officially established in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. This conference was a key highlight of the Singapore Nanyang International Club's large-scale sustainable theme activity, "Retracing the Silk Road" (Laos leg), marking a new stage of deep collaboration between Laos and Singapore in business cooperation and cultural exchange.
Since launching the "Retracing the Silk Road" series of activities in 2016, the Singapore Nanyang International Club has been deeply involved in the project for ten years. As the final stop on the club's ten-country journey along the Maritime Silk Road, Laos holds special milestone significance in this Silk Road journey. Following the successful completion of the Maritime Silk Road, the club's cooperative scope has naturally extended to the land-based Silk Road Economic Belt, covering Central Asian countries such as Russia and Kyrgyzstan.
Over the past decade, the "Retracing the Silk Road" series of activities has effectively enhanced friendship among countries along the route, built efficient and pragmatic bridges for exchange and cooperation, established a mature win-win cooperation mechanism in the ASEAN region and Central Asia, and generated a wide and far-reaching impact. During this trip to Laos, the Singapore Nanyang International Club, together with Lao businesses and Singapore Huayun Travel Agency, jointly promoted the official establishment of the Laos-Singapore Promotion Association, injecting new momentum into cooperation between the two countries.
Dr. Sun Xia, Chairman of the Singapore Nanyang International Club and Chairman of the Laos-Singapore Promotion Association, warmly congratulated the association on its establishment in his speech at the founding ceremony and clarified four pragmatic cooperation directions for the future, pointing the way for subsequent business visits and cooperation implementation:
First, energy investment and cooperation. Focusing on exploring cooperation models in traditional energy sectors such as petrochemicals, while also delving into the investment potential of new energy sectors such as waste-to-energy and electricity resource marketing, promoting deep integration of the energy industries of the two countries.
Second, cultural and tourism integration. Focusing on expanding cross-border cooperation in the entertainment industry, simultaneously promoting the inheritance, protection, and industrial development of intangible cultural heritage and other distinctive art forms, activating new growth points for the cultural and tourism economies of both countries.
Third, agriculture and technology empowerment. Conducting technical exchanges and project cooperation in core areas such as agricultural planting and livestock breeding, with a focus on promoting the introduction and application of intelligent equipment to help Laos modernize and upgrade its agriculture.
Fourth, we will promote the internationalization of innovative talent and industries. We will actively introduce cutting-edge technologies in the field of artificial intelligence, conduct specialized training for entrepreneurial and innovative talent, and accelerate the improvement of Laos' education system and the international development of its medical and health industry.
Following the inauguration ceremony of the Laos-Singapore Promotion Association, a delegation from the Singapore Nanyang International Club visited the National University of Laos. This visit focused on three core topics: educational cooperation, collaborative research, and joint talent training, aiming to deepen cultural exchanges between the two countries and build a solid platform for subsequent academic cooperation, talent exchanges, and technology transfer.
As an important bridge connecting the economic and cultural exchanges between Laos and Singapore, the establishment of the Laos-Singapore Promotion Association will further promote all-round cooperation between the two countries under the "Belt and Road" framework, helping both sides achieve higher-level and broader mutually beneficial cooperation.
