On 26 October 2016，the ASEAN media delegation reporting on the theme of “Jointly Building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road” visited Qujing City and interviewed Mr. DongBaotong, Mayor of Qujing.
Mr. Dong outlined the social-economic development of the cityand the status and prospects of its connectivity with ASEAN countries. He quoted that Qujing, the source of the Pearl River (China's third-longest river), has been a strategic post in the southern branch of the Silk Road since the "Five-feet-wide Trail" was opened the Qin Dynasty in the 3rd Century BC. Qujing. Now, it is a prosperous city in Yunnan Province and hub of communications. Qujing is accelerating its transformation to an ecological city and a tourist destination. In 2015, Qujing’s export volume to ASEAN amounted to more than $100 million annually, mainly in the category of vegetable, clothing, aluminium bar sections, coke, and vehicles. The areas of cooperation between Qujing and ASEAN include metallurgy, chemical industry, energy, real estate development, machinery manufacturing, intelligent equipment, software, information technology, and so on. For years, universities and colleges in Qujing have provided trainings for teachers from ASEAN countries and established long-term cooperation mechanism with relevant universities in ASEAN. Qujing will further expand exchanges and cooperation with ASEAN countries by taking the opportunity of jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. He looked forward that ASEAN media would play a bigger role of bridges in presenting the changes brought about by the Belt and Road construction. He hoped that the ASEAN journalists would provide ASEAN people with more useful information in tourism and investment to attract more visitors to Qujing.
After the interviewing, the ASEAN media paid a visit to Chihong Zn&Ge Co., Ltd. for a better knowledge of the social-economic development of Qujing.