Wang Yi Talks about Six Key Future Directions of Lancang-Mekong Cooperation

On July 4, 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the seventh Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bagan, Myanmar.

Wang Yi said that China's economy has continued to improve in the long term and is accelerating the building of a new development paradigm to promote high-quality development, which will provide greater markets and opportunities for Mekong countries. We should seize the current good opportunity of booming regional cooperation, take more measures to consolidate foundations and make more long-term plans, to push the LMC to a new level. China proposed to focus on promoting cooperation in six areas in the future.

First, strengthen strategic guidance. This includes dovetailing with the development plans of each country to create a demonstration zone for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, a pioneer zone for the Global Development Initiative and a pilot zone for the Global Security Initiative, and build a stronger Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Economic Development Belt and a closer Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future.

Second, deepen economic integration. This includes releasing the beneficial effect of the opening of the China-Laos Railway, promoting the construction of the China-Laos-Thailand Railway, deepening cooperation on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, building a new model of cooperation on intelligent customs governance, and safeguarding security in regional production and supply chains, finance and energy, to build a large Lancang-Mekong market featuring joint participation and shared benefits.

Third, expand agricultural cooperation. This includes jointly building quality and safety demonstration bases of agricultural products, carrying out green ecological grain storage cooperation, ensuring the supply of fertilizers and other agricultural materials, and creating a value chain of special and quality agricultural products, to jointly enlarge the "rice bag", "vegetable basket" and "fruit bowl".

Fourth, adhere to green development. This includes strengthening cooperation in water resources, environment, meteorology and other fields, exploring the establishment of the Lancang-Mekong disaster management cooperation mechanism, and medium- and long-term forestry cooperation mechanism, and building a green, low-carbon and circular economic system, to ensure regional ecological security and build a beautiful Lancang-Mekong homeland.

Fifth, promote digital cooperation. This includes strengthening the construction of digital infrastructure, carrying out cooperation in the fields of smart manufacturing, 5G, smart cities, raw materials and automobiles, and establishing a natural resource information sharing platform and a satellite remote-sensing application cooperation mechanism to close the "digital divide" and enable high-quality regional development.

Sixth, keep closer cultural and people-to-people exchanges. This includes organizing a series of events such as video dialogue sessions for leaders of women's organizations in the LMC countries, local government cooperation forums, and world cultural heritage forums, improving the establishment of the Mekong-Lancang Tourist Cities Cooperation Alliance, and establishing a television media cooperation alliance, to create new highlights in maternal and child, youth, local, sports and media cooperation.