Gao Shuxun, deputy governor of Yunnan province, was at the opening ceremony of the First Trans-Himalaya Development Forum on Monday. He says the province was "looking forward to building a more effective international transport system in the region."

Hosted by China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, the two-day forum held in Mangshi, Dehong attracted 150 experts and scholars from China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.

Discussions over the two days were titled "Trans-Himalaya developmental cooperation and the One belt, One road Initiative".

Participants will put forward ideas on how to grasp opportunities and tackle the challenges of international collaboration. Gao went on to say that despite being home to 3 billion people from eight countries, the Himalayan region remains in a state of widespread poverty due to its geography and outmoded infrastructure restraints.