Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi marks the 10th anniversary of the first Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Leaders' Meeting
WVR - The World & Vietnam Report is honoured to present an article by Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the first Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Leaders' Meeting.
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| Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China writes about ten years of Mekong-Lancang Cooperation. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
I am delighted to join you in celebrating the 10th anniversary of the first Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Leaders' Meeting. On this occasion, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to friends from various countries who have strongly supported and actively participated in the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation over the years.
The six Mekong-Lancang countries share the same river, with futures closely intertwined. Ten years ago today, the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation officially commenced, sowing seeds of unity, resilience, and mutually beneficial cooperation among the countries in the region. Under the guidance of President Xi Jinping and the leaders of the Mekong countries, the six nations have adhered to the Mekong-Lancang culture of “treating each other as equals, sincerely supporting one another, and being as close as family”. They have also embraced the Mekong-Lancang spirit of “prioritizing development, equal consultation, practicality and effectiveness, openness, and inclusivity”, achieving rapid progress with “daily advancements, monthly achievements, and yearly new heights”. The Mekong-Lancang Cooperation has grown from a seed into a towering tree, setting an example for building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind.
Over the past decade, the futures of the Mekong-Lancang countries have become increasingly interconnected. In the face of unprecedented changes, the six countries have moved forward together, building a comprehensive Community with a Shared Future, becoming good neighbors, good friends, and good partners who share joys and support each other.
Over the past decade, the development momentum of the Mekong-Lancang countries has become increasingly robust. Trade between China and the five Mekong countries has surpassed 500 billion USD, a 150% increase compared to ten years ago. Various ministries and localities of the six countries have achieved fruitful cooperation through their hard work and dedication.
Over the past decade, the security shield of the Mekong-Lancang countries has become increasingly solid. The six countries have promoted the “Safe Mekong-Lancang Action”, coordinating efforts in areas such as disaster prevention, public health, and effectively safeguarding the lives and property of people in the region. China shares hydrological data of the Lancang River with downstream countries, assisting them in disaster prevention and response to floods and droughts.
Over the past decade, cultural exchanges among the Mekong-Lancang countries have deepened. The “Lancang-Mekong Visa” program has been implemented, and “small but beautiful” projects benefiting the people, such as “Mekong-Lancang Bumper Harvest” and the “Sweet Spring Movement”, have achieved remarkable results. People from the six countries frequently visit each other, fostering vibrant exchanges and strengthening the bridge of cultural exchange and people-to-people connections.
The robust development of Mekong-Lancang Cooperation over the past decade hinges on three “persistences”: First, persistently maintaining friendly neighborly relations and sharing a common future. Second, persistently focusing on development to benefit the people. Third, persistently using innovation as a driving force, pioneering and leading implementation.
The world is currently entering a period of significant changes, with hegemony and power politics on the rise, severely impacting the international order. Recently, China successfully concluded its Two Sessions, officially launching the “15th Five-Year Plan”, adding valuable stability to the region. We need to enhance strategic connectivity and jointly build Mekong-Lancang Cooperation 2.0, highlighting the contemporary value of Mekong-Lancang Cooperation, laying the foundation for long-term regional stability and prosperity, and establishing the “Mekong-Lancang Model” in global governance.
We need to build a united and cooperative Mekong-Lancang, promoting Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness, and inclusivity, accelerating the establishment of the International Mekong-Lancang Secretariat, and contributing to the construction of a Community with a Shared Future among the Mekong-Lancang countries.
We need to build an open and win-win Mekong-Lancang, comprehensively promoting infrastructure connectivity, exploring and implementing the “multi-country, multi-industrial park” cooperation model, deepening cooperation within the framework of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and jointly building the Mekong-Lancang Economic Development Belt.
We need to build a green and innovative Mekong-Lancang, deepening the construction of the Mekong-Lancang Innovation Corridor, promoting cooperation in the digital economy, artificial intelligence (AI), science and technology, innovation, and ecological governance, encouraging investment in new energy sectors, building a regional green value chain, and establishing a Mekong-Lancang green industrial cluster.
We need to build a Mekong-Lancang of mutual learning among civilizations, accelerating the establishment of the Mekong-Lancang Tourism Cities Cooperation Alliance, continuing to deepen cooperation among media agencies and research institutes, maximizing the effectiveness of projects using the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Special Fund, expanding people-to-people exchanges and youth exchanges among the six countries, ensuring the enduring friendship of Mekong-Lancang.
We need to build a peaceful and secure Mekong-Lancang, strengthening comprehensive basin management cooperation, sharing upstream and downstream hydrological data, intensifying efforts to combat cross-border crimes such as online gambling and telecom fraud, organizing the “Safe Mekong-Lancang Action” and joint patrol and law enforcement activities along the Mekong River, creating a safe environment for building a Community with a Shared Future.
Since its inception, Mekong-Lancang Cooperation has been committed to practical implementation rather than “empty talk”, consistently prioritizing the well-being of the people and benefiting the citizens of the six countries. At this new starting point, China will adhere to the concept of “amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness” in its neighbourhood diplomacy, and together with the five Mekong countries, usher in a new “golden decade” of Mekong-Lancang Cooperation, jointly building a peaceful, secure, prosperous, beautiful, and friendly Mekong-Lancang home, contributing to regional and global peace and development.
