In July 2009, during an inspection visit to Yunnan, former President Hu Jintao outlined the plan of building Yunnan into a significant gateway for China's opening to the southwest, marking the start of Yunnan’s Gateway Strategy.

As the geographical center of Asia, Yunnan is a frontier zone that connects China with South Asia, Southeast Asia, West Asia, South Europe and Africa.

The country has implemented the Western Development Strategy. In addition, the China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone has been completed, and international and regional cooperation have been deepened in the Pan-Pearl River Delta region, Greater Mekong Subregion, Southwest Economic Circle and City Circle in Central Yunnan.

Kunming currently serves as the center of the Asian Five-Hour Flight Circle. The new Kunming airport, put into operation in 2011, is expected to be the fourth gateway airport in China after Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai.

China is connected to Southeast and South Asia by the Kunming-Singapore Railway and three highways, the Kunming-Bangkok, Kunming-Yangon and Kunming-Hanoi highways. The Kunming–Singapore Railway is a part of the Trans-Asia Railway, (including the eastern route from Kunming to Hanoi, the central route from Kunming to Vientiane, and the western route from Kunming to Yangon).

After the China-Burma Oil and Gas Pipeline started construction in June 2010, PetroChina began to build the Yunnan refining and chemical base in Kunming.

Taking Kunming as the center, and covering Qujing, Yuxi and Chuxiong, the Central Yunnan Province Economic Circle Area is one of the 18 key functional zones designated by the State Council.