Yunnan Model: A New Chapter in China’s Growth Story

Yunnan has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, particularly in infrastructure, tourism, and global trade. The Western Development strategy, originally launched around 2000 and sustained (with new phases and priorities) through the 2010s and 2020s, set the tone for the development of western provinces in China. The strategy and policy goals were aimed to move capital, infrastructure and inland policy support to reduce regional imbalance, expand energy and resource extraction, and link China’s interior to trade routes westwards. China’s vast western region—a mix of inland provinces (Sichuan, Shaanxi, Yunnan), autonomous regions (Xinjiang, Tibet, and Guangxi) has seen a dramatic state-led transformation. The chapter seeks to examine the national policy imperatives that have transformed Yunnan into an economically and politically significant border province of China. What factors have made Yunnan a unique regional development growth model? How did the provincial leaders envisage a new role for Yunnan to make it an economic hub for South and Southeast Asia?