On December 7, 2023, the Second Belt and Road Forum for Laos-China Cooperation co-sponsored by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Lao PDR, Xinhua News Agency and Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia was held in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Thongloun, General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President sent a congratulatory letter to the forum, which was attended by Kikeo, Lao Deputy Prime Minister, Fuhua, President of Xinhua News Agency and other people.

Lawyers of the TAHOTA Vientiane Office, the only legal service institution funded by Laos and China, are invited to speak at the meeting, made a professional interpretation on the legal issues related to investment in agricultural projects in Laos at one of the theme activities of the forum carried out that afternoon- Symposium on Cooperation Between China and Laos in Targeted Poverty Alleviation in Rural Areas, with the interpretation titled Legal Path of Investing in Agricultural Projects in Laos.

Zhang Tianyi, a lawyer of the TAHOTA Vientiane Office, introduced that since the China-Laos Railway was officially open to traffic, the convenient international transport corridor has attracted a large number of investors from all over the world who are concerned about agriculture to Laos and Laos holds an open and welcome attitude towards foreign investment in agricultural projects. According to the objectives planned in the Agriculture Development Strategy to 2025 and Vision to 2030 issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos, by 2025, the investment in agriculture in Laos will reach USD 23.375 billion, of which the proportion of foreign direct investment (FDI) will be 70%.

Zhang Tianyi had in-depth discussions and exchanges with Chinese and Lao government officials, think tank experts and business representatives who participated in the symposium from the perspectives of laws in force in Laos, bilateral and multilateral trade and investment agreements signed and successful experiences and practices of existing agricultural projects in Laos, focusing on investment access, land acquisition, investment taxes and fees, preferential policies and legal suggestions. He also put forward professional suggestions for the whole process of agricultural project investment before, during and after investment from the perspective of legal professional institutions. In other words, due diligence shall be done before the project investment, a clear business structure shall be built, basic business agreements of the project shall be signed, the asset ownership after the investment shall be confirmed, and the guarantee mechanism for bilateral and multilateral investment and trade agreements shall be used skillfully, to ensure the compliance of the whole process of investment in agricultural projects in Laos and the maximization of investment benefits.

Tahota Lawyer Firm has set up offices in Vientiane, Laos, major economies in the world and countries along the Belt and Road region. It has initially established a global legal service network, ensures coordination between all offices in China and overseas offices such as Vientiane Office, and provides professional, high-quality and efficient legal services for China enterprises “going global” on a long-term basis, adding legal impetus to building a high-quality Belt and Road region.