Yachongtou, 28, is a second-year graduate student of Guangxi University for Nationalities in Nanning, where he has studied since 2019, specializing in economics and language, including topics such as the effect of language skills on income and trade.

"It's not new in China, but no one in Laos has done any research on it," says Yachongtou, who obtained a bachelor's degree at the National University of Laos. "I think it could be quite useful in the future."

He is undecided about what path to follow after he graduates, but it is likely to be something related to trade and economic collaboration between China and Laos, two important countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

In addition to Laos, other ASEAN countries－Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam－have conducted educational exchange with China for decades. They have become even closer after the 10 countries joined the BRI.