[LMC] What is Lancang-Mekong Cooperation?

Lancang represents the Lancang River, and Mekong means the Mekong River. Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) is short for the Lancang-Mekong River cooperation mechanism, which includes China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Viet Nam as members.

Originated from the Tanggula Mountains in Qinghai Province, the Lancang River flows through the Tibet Autonomous Region, Yunnan Province and cuts across alpine and gorge regions. The section, that flows out of China from Xishuangbanna, is called the Mekong River. 

With a total length of 4,880 km, the River successively flows through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam, before it enters the South China Sea. The River links the 6 countries and serves as their natural bondage and a cradle where their people live and breed. It bred their similar, close yet distinctive cultures and forged their time-honored, profound and extensive economic and humanistic connections.

As traditional good neighbors and partners, China and the five countries along the Mekong River have established a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation and had a high level of political trust. The border, River line, as well as sea, road and air traffic lines are like blood vessels that have closely connected key economic zones and development resources of the six countries, highlighting prominent cooperation advantages. 

In the meantime, climate change, natural disaster, cross-border infectious diseases, transnational crimes and other challenges require the six parties to work hand-in-hand. Under the new situation of regional integration, cooperation among countries along the Lancang-Mekong River has both strong internal demand and sufficient realistic conditions. It goes with the time trend and public will, therefore is imperative.

In November, 2014, Premier Li Keqiang proposed in the 17th China-ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting to establish the Lancang-Mekong River cooperation mechanism which got positive response from countries along the Mekong River, and planted a plump seed for the Lancang-Mekong River cooperation.

The Lancang-Mekong River cooperation is a new sub-regional cooperation mechanism tailored by the six countries according to their common needs.　As a platform discussed, constructed and shared by the six countries, the Lancang-Mekong River cooperation is a common responsible farmland for all countries. 

Also, the cooperation adheres to the pragmatic cooperation orientation, adopting government guidance, multi-participation and project-based models to fully mobilize all resources of governments, industries and people and jointly promote the implementation.