As an important event during the Second GMS Leaders Meeting, “Forum on Business Participation in the Cooperation of Greater Mekong Subregion” was held in Kunming on July 3-5, 2008, organized by the Ministry of Commerce and Yunnan provincial government. Nearly 400 representatives from the governments, business community and international organizations attended this meeting. At the forum’s opening ceremony which was presided over by President of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce Wang Yiming on July 3, Mr. An Ming, Vice-Minister of Commerce, Mr. Wang Xudong, Minister of Information Industry, Mr. Xu Rongkai, Governor of Yunnan Province, Mr. Jin Liqun, Vice President of Asian Development Bank, and Mr. Win Aung, Chairman-in-Office of Business Forum of Greater Mekong Subregion were present at the opening ceremony and gave remarks. After the ceremony and the plenary session, panel discussions on facilitating trade and investment, improving infrastructure and information network were arranged. The forum lasted two days and a half, and ended on July 5, and the final statement report was also prepared.

On the afternoon of July 5, Subregional State Leaders: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Laotian Premier Boungnang Vorachith, Burma’s Prime Minister Soe Win, Thailand's prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, president of Asian Development Bank(ADB) HaruhikoKuroda were present at the Dialogue between GMS Leaders and Business Community. After listening to the reports delivered by the Chairmen of the plenary and the panels, the leaders of GMS and ADB gave comments on each report. Premier Wen Jiabao made a summary speech, and the dialogue was completed after a warm and prolonged applause.

The success of the forum and the dialogue provide a good opportunity for enhancing Chinese enterprises’ understanding of GMS trade and investment environment, and promoting communications between Chinese enterprises and GMS governments as well as business community.