Mar 17, 2025
Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Han Zhiqiang
The Lancang-Mekong River flows onward, nourishing the lands of the six countries in its basin and carrying the shared aspirations of the people along its banks for peace, prosperity, and a happy life. Upholding the original aspiration of "sharing the same river and having a closely linked destiny," the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) has, after nine years of development, injected vital vitality into regional development and continuously yielded fruitful results in building a community with a shared future for the Lancang-Mekong countries.
Deepening political mutual trust and security, consolidating the foundation for peace and stability. The six Lancang-Mekong countries prioritize political mutual trust and security cooperation. China and the five Mekong countries have achieved full coverage of bilateral and multilateral communities with a shared future, jointly standing at the forefront of building a community with a shared future for mankind. The institutionalization of the LMC is becoming increasingly完善 (perfected/improved), and non-traditional security cooperation has yielded significant results. The six countries have established the Lancang-Mekong Comprehensive Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Mechanism, deepening cooperation in areas such as counter-terrorism and combating transnational crime. China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand completed the 150th joint patrol and law enforcement operation on the Mekong River. A joint operation against online gambling and telecom fraud in the Thai-Myanmar border region was also conducted, dismantling multiple fraud dens and repatriating a large number of suspects, further maintaining regional security and order.
Focusing on economic and sustainable development, a new picture of prosperity is being created. Infrastructure connectivity among Mekong River basin countries is accelerating, economic and trade cooperation is improving in both quantity and quality, and green transformation is leading the future. In the three years since the opening of the China-Laos Railway, cross-border freight transport has covered 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China and 19 countries and regions including Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Thai government approved the second phase of the China-Thailand Railway project, which will connect with the China-Laos Railway in the future, forming a "golden corridor" traversing the Indochina Peninsula. In 2024, trade between China and the Mekong River basin countries exceeded US$450 billion, doubling in 10 years. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism are working together to expand the coverage of "zero tariffs" on agricultural products.
Promoting people-to-people exchanges and building bridges of understanding. The cluster of cooperative projects among the six countries has yielded remarkable results. The "Lancang-Mekong Sweet Water Action" has benefited tens of thousands of people, while the "Harvest Lancang-Mekong" and "Lancang-Mekong Agricultural Cooperation 100,000-100000 Action Plan" projects are progressing steadily, bringing tangible benefits to the people. With the implementation of visa-free policies between China and Thailand, and China and Laos, exchanges among the people of the six countries in areas such as food, film, culture, and tourism are becoming increasingly frequent. Interactions among youth, media, think tanks, and local governments are becoming closer, and the Lancang-Mekong culture of "equal treatment, sincere mutual assistance, and family-like closeness" is being further promoted.
Thailand, the current co-chair of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and an important initiator and participant, is playing an increasingly prominent role within the mechanism, leveraging its unique geographical advantages and development wisdom. In November 2022, President Xi Jinping visited Thailand, and the two countries announced the beginning of a new era of building a China-Thailand community with a shared future. In February of this year, Prime Minister Patthongthan paid an official visit to China, and the leaders of the two countries outlined a new blueprint for advancing the construction of a China-Thailand community with a shared future. Under the strategic guidance of the high-level leaders of both sides, political mutual trust between China and Thailand has been further consolidated, pragmatic cooperation has been comprehensively upgraded, and the concept of "China and Thailand as one family" has become more deeply rooted in people's hearts.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand, and is known as the "Golden 50 Years of China-Thailand Friendship." The two sides will conduct high-level exchanges and a series of celebratory activities. China supports Thailand in hosting the Fifth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting and believes that the historic progress in China-Thailand relations will benefit both countries and their people, and will further contribute to regional peace, development, and prosperity.
As a Thai proverb says, "A single tree cannot support a forest, but many trees make a grove." China is willing to work with the riparian countries, including Thailand, to continue to promote the Lancang-Mekong spirit, deepen integrated development, adhere to innovation-driven development, and strengthen the foundation of people-to-people bonds, so as to create a golden decade of Lancang-Mekong cooperation with closer partnerships and higher-quality cooperation results!