Yunnan, West Bengal forum opens in Kunming

A two-day forum between Southwest China's Yunnan province and India's West Bengal state opened in Kunming on Tuesday.

The K2K Forum, staged by the Development Research Center of the Yunnan Government and the MAKA Institute of Asian Studies in India, is a provincial-level economic cooperation forum between the two nations.

The two "K"s stand for Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan, and Kolkata (Calcutta), capital city of West Bengal.

Discussions center on communications from think tanks set up by both sides, and on cooperation in business and trade, tourism and cultural exchanges.

Gao Shuxun, vice-governor of Yunnan province, spoke highly of the results of the K2K cooperation mechanism over the past 10 years and called on Chinese and Indian think tanks to provide more intellectual support for promoting bilateral relations.

The 2012 Kunming Announcement was signed by both sides, expanding cooperation on business and trade, tourism and cultural exchanges.

K2K achievements include direct air links between Kunming and Kolkata, exchange visits between young people and increased academic exchanges.