With Kunming being groomed to be China's gateway to Southeast Asia, more attention is being paid to the new R3E road which runs 1,807 kilometers and links the city with Bangkok. Initial reports from Bangkok suggest that although international trade along the route – which also passes through Laos – has increased sharply, it could grow even faster if physical and bureaucratic obstacles are addressed sooner rather than later.
The R3E road opened in Autumn 2008 to boost intraregional trade, tourism and investment. Yunnan is home to the road's northernmost 688 kilometers, which lead into a 229-kilometer stretch leading into Laos. The remaining 890 kilometers link the Lao-Thai border with the Thai capital.