China’s growing international engagements are often examined in terms of Beijing’s relationship with other national capitals. In the Mekong Region, however, much of the Chinese trade, aid, and cultural exchange occurring is driven by sub-national actors, particularly in Yunnan Province. While these ties are new in some ways, they represent a revival of – not a departure from – Yunnan’s historical role as a crossroads connecting China, mainland Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas. This talk by Juliet Lu, Postdoctoral Fellow at Atkinson Center for Sustainability, Cornell University, explores multiple threads of Yunnan’s revival as a vital crossroads of exchange, focusing on the rise in Chinese land and infrastructure investments in Laos. 

Click here for more information.