Build a more peaceful and prosperous community with a shared future for the Lancang-Mekong countries

Recently, the 2024 "Lancang-Mekong Week" series of activities have been launched in many places in the Lancang-Mekong countries. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) is a new type of sub-regional cooperation mechanism jointly initiated and established by China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Over the past eight years, the LMC has grown from scratch and upgraded in quality and achieved fruitful results, bringing tangible benefits to the people of the basin countries, promoting the economic development and social progress of the six countries, and helping to build a more peaceful and prosperous community with a shared future for the Lancang-Mekong countries.

　　Promote the sustainable development of regional countries

　　On April 5, the launching ceremony of the 2024 Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund Thailand Project and the commemoration of the "Lancang-Mekong Week" jointly organized by the Chinese Embassy in Thailand and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand were held in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. Thailand is a major initiator and important participant of the LMC, as well as a beneficiary of the LMC. So far, Thailand has participated in the use of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund for a total of 20 million US dollars. The event jointly launched 18 Thai projects.

　　Deputy Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Acting Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand Busadi spoke highly of the positive significance and achievements of the LMC, and thanked the LMC Special Fund for its assistance in promoting economic recovery and people's livelihood development in various countries. She said that Thailand will co-chair the LMC this year and is willing to work closely with China and other countries in the basin to jointly build a more peaceful and prosperous community with a shared future for the LMC.

　　More than 100 "Harvest Lancang-Mekong Harvest" projects have been launched in Myanmar and other countries to help local farmers increase production and income, the "Lancang-Mekong Sweet Springs Initiative" has helped Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos improve rural water supply, and the "Green Lancang-Mekong Plan" has promoted environmental governance and low-carbon development in the region...... With the support of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund, the six countries have carried out more than 700 projects in the fields of water resources, agriculture, poverty alleviation, health, women and culture, bringing tangible benefits to the people of the basin countries.

　　Tina Tina, senior editor-in-chief of Cambodian Fairy Radio and Television, told reporters that China has helped regional people develop agricultural technologies that adapt to the local soil environment, improve the industrial chain of special agricultural products, create products that meet market demand, and contribute to the agricultural and rural development of Lancang-Mekong countries. The president and editor-in-chief of the Lao Social and Economic News Newspaper, Thong Li Liam Sai Yaja, said that the implementation of the demonstration project of domestic waste collection, removal and disposal in Nan En Village, Nam Tha Province, Laos, and the sewage treatment demonstration project of Nam En Provincial Middle School in Nam Tha Province have helped the local people solve the problem of garbage disposal and sewage discharge and improve the living environment.

　　On April 1, a special fruit train of the China-Laos Railway loaded with fresh durian from Thailand and bananas from Laos arrived at the Mohan Railway Port in Yunnan, China, and after inspection, the fruit was sent to Chongqing, Shanghai and other places. As of March 19 this year, more than 9,000 international freight trains have been operated on the China-Laos Railway, transporting 7.95 million tons of cross-border goods. Since its opening one year ago, the international passenger trains of the China-Laos Railway have continued to increase in speed, sending a total of 700,000 passengers and attracting more than 180,000 cross-border trips from 87 countries and regions.

　　In recent years, landmark projects such as the China-Laos Railway, the China-Thailand Railway, the Golden Port Expressway, and the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong Standard Gauge Railway have been progressed or put into operation in an orderly manner, significantly improving the level of connectivity among the six Lancang-Mekong countries, and providing an "accelerator" for regional economic and trade and people-to-people exchanges. The total trade volume between China and the Lancang-Mekong countries in 2023 will be nearly US$400 billion, doubling in the past seven years. Deputy Director of the Sub-regional Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar Ong Makai said that the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation focuses on promoting the process of regional economic integration and promotes mutual understanding, solidarity and cooperation and common development among the countries in the basin.

　　Effectively maintain regional peace and stability

　　On March 15, the handover ceremony of the law enforcement service station in the border provinces of Laos with the assistance of the Lancang-Mekong Integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Center was held in Phongsali Province, Laos. Since its launch in December 2017, the Center has provided assistance to the border provinces of Laos in batches to build a number of law enforcement service stations and drug detection stations, and donated patrol boats, speedboats and other law enforcement materials, effectively cracking down on illegal and criminal activities in the border areas of Laos and effectively maintaining local security and order.

　　Over the past eight years, the six Lancang-Mekong countries have adhered to the principle of taking into account security and development, effectively relied on platforms such as the Lancang-Mekong Comprehensive Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Center, actively explored the mechanism of regular meetings between the law enforcement departments of the six countries, further promoted the "Safe Lancang-Mekong Initiative", jointly responded to the challenges of traditional and non-traditional security threats in the Lancang-Mekong sub-region, resolutely cracked down on cross-border crimes in the sub-region such as wire fraud and online gambling, and vigorously safeguarded the safety of people's lives and property in the region.

　　Since last year, the Lancang-Mekong Integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Center has held several lectures and trainings on the theme of combating telecom fraud and combating virtual currency crimes. Yang Lei, a public security expert and commentator, said that the training will effectively improve the professional level and response ability of law enforcement personnel of the six Lancang-Mekong countries, and will also promote exchanges and cooperation among the law enforcement agencies of the six Lancang-Mekong countries, so as to more effectively combat transnational criminal activities. Aung Duya, editor-in-chief of Myanmar Global New Light News, told reporters that Myanmar-China cooperation in cracking down on wire fraud in northern Myanmar and rescuing trapped people has achieved remarkable results. Continuously strengthening law enforcement and security cooperation is conducive to maintaining regional peace, stability and prosperity.

　　The LMC is born out of water, and water resources cooperation is one of the priority areas of the LMC. In July last year, China announced at the 7th LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting that it would implement the "Lancang-Mekong Water Benefiting the People Plan", which means that the LMC will enter a new stage of quality upgrading. Song Qingrun, a professor at the School of Asian Studies at Beijing University of Foreign Chinese, said that as an upstream country, China has actively played the role of the Lancang River in regulating abundance and replenishing drought, ensuring a reasonable discharge flow, providing emergency water replenishment in response to the needs of the five Lancang-Mekong countries, continuing to share the annual hydrological information of the Lancang River, and actively assisting downstream countries in coping with flood and drought disasters, making important contributions to the sustainable development and utilization of water resources in the entire basin.

　　Myanmar's "Northern Star" magazine editor-in-chief Wen Ding told reporters that China and Mekong countries jointly implemented the "Lancang-Mekong Ganquan Action", "Lancang-Mekong Water Benefiting the People Program", "Lancang-Mekong Countries Typical Small Watershed Comprehensive Management Demonstration" and other practical cooperation projects, to continuously improve the water resources management capacity of countries and the well-being of people's livelihood in the region. The first phase of the Lancang-Mekong Initiative was launched in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar from 2020 to 2022, benefiting more than 10,000 people.

　　Tighten the emotional ties of the people's mutual understanding and blind date

　　The six Lancang-Mekong countries are connected by mountains and rivers, with close cultural affinities and people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning. Over the past eight years, the six countries have carried out various forms of people-to-people exchanges in the fields of tourism, sports, media, localities, universities and youth, and actively held brand activities such as the Lancang-Mekong Local Government Cooperation Forum and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Celebrity Forum, constantly strengthening the emotional ties between the people of the six countries.

　　From March 18th to 24th, China Guangxi Radio and Television, Cambodian National Television, Lao National Television, Myanmar National Radio and Television, and Vietnam Digital Television jointly held the Lancang-Mekong Translation Exhibition and Broadcasting Week. A number of Chinese TV programs have been translated and broadcast on video platforms in the Lancang-Mekong countries, which have been widely acclaimed. Cambodian audience member En Qingwei said that "Shang Shi" skillfully blended Chinese food and local stories, and deepened his understanding of Chinese culture. Vietnamese audience Nguyen Minh Anh loves the storyline of "Everywhere Scholars" very much, and feels the vitality and unique charm of the Chinese countryside through watching the drama.

　　With the deepening of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, the six countries have worked together in the areas of cooperation in running schools, teacher training, and talent training, providing strong technical and talent support for production capacity cooperation and economic development. On March 21, the opening ceremony and signing ceremony of the "E-commerce Valley" Thailand Vocational College Teacher Training Course of Guangxi Vocational and Technical College of Economics and Trade was held in Nanning, Guangxi. It is reported that Guangxi Vocational and Technical College of Economics and Trade has signed cooperation agreements with many colleges and universities in Thailand to carry out activities such as "Chinese + e-commerce" vocational skills qualification training. In addition, regional education cooperation platforms such as the Lancang-Mekong Vocational Education Alliance and the South and Southeast Asian University Alliance have continued to grow and provide a broad stage for education cooperation among Lancang-Mekong countries.

　　Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Song Jinda said that over the past eight years, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation has reached a new level and become a model of win-win cooperation, effectively promoting the long-term and sustainable development of the region and benefiting the people of all countries. He believed that the LMC will continue to promote the bright future of building an ASEAN-China community with a shared future.