On November 26, 2018, Du Jiahao, then secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and director of the Standing Committee of the Hunan Provincial People's Congress, visited Laos. He, together with Sinlavong Khoutphaythoune, then secretary of the Vientiane Municipal Party Committee and mayor of Vientiane, witnessed the official establishment of a friendship province-city relationship between the two sides. On October 12, 2024, Shaoyang City of Hunan Province knotted a friendship-city relationship with Hadxaifong District of Vientiane.

Location of Vientiane

Vientiane, the capital of Laos, is the political, economic, and cultural center of the country. It covers 3,920 square kilometers and comprises nine districts (four urban and five suburban ones) and 481 villages. The four urban districts are Chanthabuly, Sisattanak, Sikhottabong, and Xaysettha; the five suburban districts are Hadxaifong, Xaythany, Naxaithong, Pak Ngum, and Sangthong. Temperatures average between 22.6°C and 31.7°C. Vientiane has a tropical monsoon climate, with a rainy season from May to October and a dry season from November to April.

In Vientiane, agriculture accounts for 14% of the economy, while industry takes up 45%, and services 38%. The city is home to about three-quarters of Laos' industrial and mining enterprises, including sawmills, brick and tile, textiles, matches, and soap, and especially famed for notably its silk, printed fabrics, weaving, and gold and silver jewelry. Vientiane has convenient transportation, with No.13 Highway and the Mekong River serving as links to major cities and towns across the country, and Wattay International Airport connecting to destinations worldwide. Vientiane also boasts rich tourism resources, including That Luang Stupa (Great Sacred Stupa), Haw Phra Kaew (Hor Phra Keo Museum), Patuxay (Victory Monument), and Sisaket Temple.

On June 30, 2022, the China-Laos Railway (Huaihua–Vientiane) · Sinotrans international freight train made its maiden trip.

Hunan's first direct flight to Laos —Changsha–Vientiane route—was launched on August 31, 2015, operated by Lao Airlines. On January 6, 2022, the first China-Laos Railway (Huaihua–Vientiane) freight train departed from Huaihua International Land Port, marking the first ASEAN-bound international freight train service in central China. In 2025, the Huaihua–Vientiane freight train service ran 20 train trips, carrying 1,012 containers, with 18,500 tonnes of cargo worth 178 million CNY (25 million USD). The cargo mainly included tapioca starch, lead ingots, rare earths, ammonium sulfate, articles of daily use, and ammonium bicarbonate.

On April 26, 2025, the "Party Member and Cadre Education and Training Base of the Hunan Academy of Governance" was unveiled at the Vientiane Administration College. 

Since 2018, Hunan Province has organized five training sessions for Laos government senior officials, with the participants including officials from Vientiane, Savannakhet, Oudomxay, and Luang Prabang, as well as Laos' ministries for foreign affairs, culture and tourism, liaison, organization, agriculture and forestry. These training sessions have further deepened the understanding of Hunan among Lao ministries and local governments. In October 2023, the Party School of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee was designated as a "Cadre Education and Training Base for the Vientiane Administration College." On April 26, 2025, the "Party Member and Cadre Education and Training Base of the Hunan Academy of Governance" was established at the Vientiane Administration College in Laos.

Chinese source: Foreign Affairs Office of the Hunan Provincial People's Government