Lancang—Mekong Cooperation 2.0

On January 10， 2018， the Second Lancang-Mekong Cooperation （LMC） Leaders Meeting was held in Phnom Penh， Cambodia. The meeting reviewed the achievements made by the LMC over the past two years in the areas of institution and norm building and regional cooperation. Leaders of LMC member countries also agreed on areas for future cooperation. This meeting， focused on moving from an earlier phase of nurturing to one of future growth， ushered in a new era for the LMC mechanism. As Chinas first major regional meeting for 2018， the LMC meeting showcased the new concepts and new models that will guide Chinas diplomatic activities with its neighbors.

Boosting Endogenous Growth

The economic development of China and ASEAN member states has long been driven primarily by export-oriented industries. In the face of the 2008 world financial crisis， these countries turned to greater regional integration to avoid future risks. However， the over reliance of East Asian economies on Western markets led to insufficient endogenous driving force for regional cooperation. The establishment of the ASEAN community has also not rectified imbalanced development within the region. All these factors have seriously affected Southeast Asian regional integration.

To develop regional markets and promote common development， it is necessary for countries to strengthen cooperation in the area of production capacity and improve regional production networks and infrastructure connectivity. The LMC advocates a philosophy of cooperative development focused on boosting member countries development by leveraging their economic complementarity. Cooperation in five key priority areas should also be enhanced in line with the development requirements of the six Lancang-Mekong countries and the desire to realize collective prosperity.

Achieving Win-win Cooperation

When developing relations with other nations， China adheres to the principle of equality regardless of size， strength or wealth. This principle is also applied to the relations between China and ASEAN member states， including those countries located along the Mekong River. Over time， China and these countries have gradually come up with a unique way of advancing regional cooperation， defined by consensus building， non-interference in each others internal affairs and accommodation of each others interests. Chinese policy makers have a common understanding that a united， developed， stable and prosperous ASEAN is beneficial to China and that therefore China should remain committed to giving firm support to the construction of the ASEAN community， the central role that ASEAN plays in regional cooperation and a larger role for ASEAN in international affairs.

When the LMC mechanism was first established， some argued that China was attempting to split ASEAN so that it could get the upper hand in the South China Sea issue. In fact， China positioned the LMC as an example of South-South cooperation from the beginning and aspired to achieve sub-regional cooperation through equal consultation. Instead of splitting ASEAN， the LMC mechanism helps to narrow the development gap among ASEAN members and boost ASEAN integration. In the process of advancing the LMC mechanism， China has given full consideration to the needs of countries along the Mekong River， with both old and new cooperative projects reflecting the wishes and interests of countries in the region.

Improving Peoples Well-being

Promoting regional integration is also a process of making long-term improvements to the livelihoods of the regions people. With a special focus on education， health， culture and poverty alleviation， the LMC mechanism has since its inception carried out multiple projects to benefit peoples of the LMC member countries.

In order to better implement the LMC Five-Year Plan of Action， regional leaders at the meeting in Phnom Penh agreed to upgrade the existing “3+5” cooperation framework to a “3+5+X” format； that is， to uphold the three pillars of political and security issues， economic and sustainable development， and cultural and people-to-people exchanges， as well as strengthen cooperation in the five priority areas of connectivity， production capacity， cross-border economic cooperation， water resources and agriculture and poverty reduction， while expanding cooperation in the fields of digital economy， environmental protection， health， customs and youth exchanges. Increasing investments in improving the lives of the people of the region reflect the humanitarian principles underlying Chinas current diplomatic efforts in Southeast Asia.

Advancing Coordinated Development

Since the establishment of the LMC， some have worried that it would replace existing cooperation mechanisms and would come to be exploited by China in an attempt to dominate the sub-region. Yet as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stressed during the meeting， Chinas approach to the LMC is a sincere one： “As we have no intention to form any exclusive club， we are open to any initiative or mechanism that serves development in the region. It will not replace other sub-regional cooperation frameworks. Instead， it can develop side by side with the Greater Mekong Sub-region and other mechanisms in a mutually reinforcing manner.”

The same is true in the area of water resource cooperation. Given that the LMC came into being out of a shared river， some feared that it might replace the Mekong River Commission （MRC） and become the main mechanism in Lancang-Mekong water resource cooperation， thus paving the way for China to establish a hegemonic position in the river and marginalize water resource-related issue. In reality， China and the MRC have long maintained cooperative relations and the two sides continue to view water resource management issues as a priority for future cooperation. Through policy dialogue， information sharing， joint research and technical cooperation， LMC member countries are working together to promote coordinated and sustainable development in the economic， social and environmental sectors.

During last years 19th Communist Party of China （CPC） National Congress， the CPC declared its vision of building a community that would work towards a shared future for mankind. One area in which China has initiated this process is its cooperation with neighboring countries through the LMC mechanism. A people-centered and project-oriented LMC model will serve as a way to build a shared community for China and its neighboring countries. And a Lancang-Mekong culture defined by equality among members， sincerity， mutual assistance and compassion will fully embody the notions of Chinas neighborhood diplomacy in the new era.