Stronger ties with Mekong nations stressed

The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation framework has become a vital mechanism for regional cooperation among countries sharing the river as they face mounting climate pressures, economic transitions, and evolving nontraditional security challenges.

At a forum held in Bangkok on Wednesday, officials, scholars, and private sector representatives from all six member countries emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation and highlighted the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, or LMC, framework's mandate, while showcasing its concrete achievements to date.

"The region is encountering increasingly complex challenges, including intensifying climate pressures, economic transitions, and evolving nontraditional security threats. The LMC must enhance its responsiveness, innovation and impact to address these challenges effectively in the next decade," Chettaphan Maksamphan, deputy permanent secretary of Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at the forum.

The LMC consists of six countries: China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. This week, the members celebrated the "Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Week" to commemorate LMC's 10th anniversary.

As this year's cochair of the LMC, Thailand has more than a hundred projects being carried out with the assistance of more than $29 million from the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund, demonstrating a people-centric approach aimed at concrete outcomes toward a community with shared peace and prosperity, said Chettaphan.

Shared commitment

"Thailand values its partnership with China and other member countries, emphasizing solidarity and a shared commitment to nurturing cooperation. Our collaboration is built on sustained mutual trust and dedication over the past decade," he said. Chettaphan suggested that the LMC focus on reinforcing water security and collaborate to ensure cleaner air, greater climate resilience, and tackle emerging challenges such as online crime. Empowering future generations to carry this cooperation forward is also essential, he said.

Winai Wangpimool, director of the international affairs division under Thailand's Office of the National Water Resources, said climate change must be prioritized as a key issue under the framework due to its direct impact on human security and daily life.

"Research should focus on practical, evidence-based solutions that are actionable and implementable. Collaboration with member countries is essential to align efforts and share relevant insights. Scientific rigor should underpin all joint research initiatives to ensure credibility and effectiveness," she said.

On Wednesday, Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese embassy in Bangkok jointly held a launch ceremony for Thailed projects funded by the LMC.

A total of 19 projects were officially launched, covering public health, green economy, and agricultural modernization, injecting new impetus into the development of the region.

As of last year, the LMC Special Fund had supported more than a thousand projects, said Zhang Jianwei, China's ambassador to Thailand.

"Over the past decade, the six countries have stayed true to the original aspiration of 'shared river, shared future' and engaged in planning together, building together, and benefiting together, making the LMC a golden example of dynamic and effective regional cooperation for the world," Zhang said.

"China is ready to work together with Thailand to implement the important common understandings between our heads of state, and to continue to strengthen strategic collaboration and practical cooperation," he added.

Originating from China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Lancang River, known as the Mekong River outside China, stretches for nearly 5,000 kilometers across Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

The LMC was launched by China and its five Southeast Asian neighbors in 2016 as a new type of subregional framework to build a community with a shared future of peace and prosperity.