Opening a New Chapter of Regional Prosperity:The Fifth Anniversary of Lancang-Mekong Cooperation

Ni Yueju

The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation （LMC） mechanism was formally established in March 2016. Through the joint efforts of the six countries in the Lancang-Mekong region， the LMC mechanism over the past five years has demonstrated robust development in the sub-region with the following distinct features： （1） a pragmatic， efficiency-driven approach; （2） a cooperation framework that includes leaders meetings and multiple joint working groups on wide-ranging issues; and （3）  a prospect of building a community of shared future in the spirit of equality and mutual assistance. As a result， the LMC has made steady progress at a remarkable speed.

In the field of law enforcement and security in particular， the LMC countries have set up a prime example for the international community with their increasingly extensive and diversified cooperation， thereby jointly safeguarding the security in the sub-region and advancing the cooperative partnership.

Shared River， Shared Future

The Lancang-Mekong River is one of the most important cross-border rivers in Asia. Originating in the Tanggula Mountains in Qinghai， it traverses nearly 4，880 km across the six countries of China， Myanmar， Laos， Thailand， Cambodia， and Vietnam before it empties into the South China Sea near Ho Chi Minh City. With its section within China known as the Lancang River and the rest known as the Mekong， the river ties the six countries closely together， creating favorable conditions for cross-border cooperation.

The initiative of setting up the LMC mechanism was put forward at the 17th ASEAN-China Summit in November 2014 when the participating countries agreed to establish the LMC mechanism to deepen the cooperation in the Greater Mekong Sub-region （GMS） under the “10+1” Cooperation Framework. On November 12， 2015， the first Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Foreign Ministers Meeting was held in Xishuangbanna， Yunnan. At the meeting， the parties reached consensus on the goals， principles， key cooperation areas， and the LMC cooperation mechanism， whose results were later announced in The Concept Paper for Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and The Joint Press Communiqué of the First Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Foreign Ministers Meeting. On March 3， 2016， the first Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders Meeting was successfully held in Sanya， Hainan， marking the formal launch of the LMC as the first sub-regional cooperation framework named after a river.

The geographical proximity， cultural affinity， and frequent people-to-people exchanges have laid a solid foundation for sub-regional cooperation.

Firstly， the LMC countries enjoy a high level of connectivity with a steadily improving high-speed transport network of expressways， high-speed rails， and civil aviation. The China-Vietnam， China-Laos and China-Myanmar borders in particular have seen the rapid construction of highways， railways， power grids， oil and gas pipelines， optical cables， and other infrastructure. For example， the 600-km-long China-Laos railway to be put into use in 2021 will turn Laos from a “land-locked” country into a “land-linked” one， greatly improving the efficiency and quality of regional transportation and promoting the economic development and social advancement in Laos. In the long run， the China-Laos railway will be joined with other railways in China in the north and in Thailand and Malaysia in the south to form an artery across the Indo-China Peninsula. This network of railways will contribute greatly to the Kunming-Bangkok Economic Corridor which straddles China， Laos， and Thailand， and the Corridor will in turn boost the economic development of the Lancang-Mekong river region and that of Southeast Asia at large.

Secondly， the six countries share close bonds with each other. The Lancang-Mekong river basin is home to six cultures， identical though distinctive. Since ancient times， the river basin countries have engaged in frequent cultural exchanges， providing a solid foundation for the deep cooperation within the sub-region. As Primer Li Keqiang observed， “the Lancang-Mekong River is like a natural ribbon that ties us closely together.”

Thirdly， the LMC countries have close economic ties with each other. Over the past two decades， the ties have been strengthened further through deepening pragmatic cooperation. An instance of such cooperation is the establishment of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area， which has greatly boosted trade and investment in this sub-region. Today， China has become the largest trading partner of Cambodia， Myanmar， Thailand， and Vietnam， the second-largest trading partner of Laos， and the largest source of foreign direct investment in Cambodia， Laos and Myanmar. Despite the COVID-19 in the first half of 2020， Chinese investment in the Mekong area rose by 33.5%， and the total trade volume between China and Mekong countries and exports from Mekong countries to China also increased by 8.7% and 21.2% respectively. The strengthening of the economic and trade ties， especially that of the ties between China and the other Lancang-Mekong countries， has led to infrastructure improvement and employment opportunities， thus benefiting the local economy greatly.

Remarkable Achievements

Over the past five years， the LMC has left the stage of rapid expansion and entered the stage of all-round development from that of rapid expansion ， delivering remarkable results in institution building， strategic planning， financial support， and practical cooperation. Improving mechanisms， expanding cooperation， and strengthening internal growth drivers inject new vitality into the area and bring tangible benefits to the river basin countries.

Firstly， the mechanism has played a guiding role in the sub-regional cooperation. The LMC has in place a multilevel， multifaceted framework consisting of meetings among leaders， foreign ministers， senior officials and working groups， with an LMC National Secretariat or Coordination Unit set up in all the six countries. The LMC states have also established a “3+5+X” cooperation framework which has identified three cooperation pillars： political and security issues; economic and sustainable development; and social， cultural， and people-to-people exchanges;  and five key priority areas： connectivity， production capacity， cross-border economic cooperation， water resources and agriculture， and poverty reduction. We have set up and put into operation working groups for all five priority areas， and established the Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center， the LMC Center on Environmental Cooperation， and the Global Center for Mekong Studies. During the Fifth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting in February 2020， the participating countries reviewed the implementation of the measures put forward at the previous meeting， summarized the fruits of cooperation， and set down work plans and cooperation priorities. The ministers identified seven key areas of future cooperation： the building of the Lancang-Mekong Economic Development Belt， public health， water resources and agriculture， peoples livelihoods， non-traditional security， and the coordinated development of sub-regional mechanisms. These practical cooperation projects among Lancang-Mekong countries will be vigorously supported by the multi-layered， all-around LMC mechanism.

Secondly， cooperation in all fields has been accelerating. China has supported numerous major projects through the special credit line for industrial capacity and equipment manufacturing cooperation， concessional loans for foreign aid， and preferential export buyers' credit. Chinese companies are actively involved in building the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone， the Rayong Industrial Zone and the Saysettha Development Zone， generating tax revenues and jobs for host countries and achieving mutual benefit. Solid cooperation has also been carried out under the Water Resources Cooperation Center， the Environmental Cooperation Center and the Global Center for Mekong River Studies. China directly provided flood-season hydrological data of the Lancang River to the Mekong countries and offered timely updates on upstream flow changes. Despite its own difficulties， China increased outbound water flow in the drought season to help downstream countries mitigate droughts. All the efforts have helped regional countries develop their economy rapidly.

Thirdly， the major cooperation projects have borne fruit. Substantial progress has been made in the 45 projects （involving water resources， public health， education， poverty reduction， connectivity， and people-to-people exchanges） endorsed at the first Leaders Meeting in Sanya in March 2016 and the 13 initiatives proposed in the Second Foreign Ministers Meeting. For example， the Vinh Tan 1 thermal power plant totaling $1.7 billion in investment has now been put into operation and awarded the “National Quality Construction Project，” an award representing the highest honor for the quality of construction projects in Vietnam. The first and second phases of the Nam Ou River cascade hydropower project （HPP） in Laos have also been completed and put into use. Like seven bright pearls along the Nam Ou River， the seven cascade units of the HPP now generate 12 per cent of the power supply in Laos， setting up an example for the industrial capacity cooperation between China and Laos and injecting new impetus into the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. The new Siem Reap Airport in Cambodia to be completed in 2023 will have an estimated annual passenger throughput of 5 million. Many other projects and initiatives are also steadily advancing. These fruits of cooperation have greatly contributed to the economic and social development of the LMC countries.

All in all， the LMC has provided new development opportunities， favorable policies， and institutional support for promoting the economic and trade cooperation in the sub-region and building the LMC Economic Development Belt.

Law Enforcement Cooperation Network Deployed in “Sanya Declaration”

As one of the most important international rivers in Asia， the Lancang-Mekong River offers a golden waterway for the commercial and friendly exchanges among the peoples in this region. Security on this waterway bears directly on the life and property of the residents and merchants; on the security， stability and economic development of the region; and on the success of the LMC endeavors. However， the security issue has posed a great challenge to the Lancang-Mekong region. As the world undergoes profound changes at the threshold of the Internet era， the LMC countries are faced with increasingly rampant terrorism， drug trafficking， human trafficking， smuggling and trafficking of firearms， and cybercrimes. All these security problems pose risks and challenges， unprecedented in complexity.

Terrorism is the most prominent security problem in the region. Examples of terrorist activities include the 2014 terrorist attack at the Kunming station in China， the 2015 bombing at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok， and the 2019 serial bombings in Sri Lankas commercial capital Colombo. With the influx of the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations from the Middle East to this area， more and more terrorists may seek to infiltrate the LMC countries.

Drug production and trafficking continue to pose a serious security threat. Economic and social deprivation in the Mekong countries has fueled opium poppy cultivation and drug production. In recent years， the drug market in this region has undergone profound changes， with crystalline methamphetamine production rapidly expanding and synthetic drugs taking up the biggest market share. Crystalline methamphetamine seizures in the six countries have now accounted for more than 85% of those in East and Southeast Asia countries， indicating the severity of the drug problem.

The problem of human trafficking in the Mekong countries is increasingly acute. Due to the imbalance of economic development among the countries in the Mekong River basin， people in the impoverished areas are eager to migrate to other places. Moreover， the huge demand for cheap labor and sex workers in the richer countries result in human trafficking under the pretenses of cross-border marriage or labor recruitment.

Internet crimes are also on the surge. Non-traditional crimes such as fraud and money laundering through the Internet have become increasingly rampant. Offenders often committed economic crimes such as cross-border telecommunications fraud and online gambling through the communication base stations they set up in Myanmar， Cambodia and other countries.

A safe and stable environment is the precondition for cooperation between Lancang-Mekong countries. It is out of this consideration that the LMC has given priority to security issues upon its establishment. In the Sanya Declaration issued in March 2016， political and security issues were identified as one of the three pillars alongside economic and sustainable development and people-to-people exchanges. Within political and security issues， non-traditional security cooperation was listed as a priority area. The declaration proposed that the LMC countries should strengthen the cooperation to address “non-traditional security threats” such as terrorism， transnational crime， and natural disasters. It also included the establishment of a “comprehensive law enforcement cooperation center covering the Lancang-Mekong River basin” and listed it among the “early harvest” projects. Later， the LMC countries jointly formulated the Five-Year Plan of Action on Lancang-Mekong Cooperation （2018-2022）， noting that they should “jointly strengthen cooperation in the field of non-traditional security issues，” such as combating drug trafficking， terrorism， organized illegal border crossings， human trafficking， smuggling and trafficking of firearms and ammunition， cybercrimes， and other transnational crimes. Drawing upon the “Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the Integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Center of Lancang-Mekong River，” the Lancang-Mekong countries have since jointly provided public security services and advanced the building of the “Safe Lancang-Mekong Corridor” based on respect for each others sovereignty and domestic laws.

Joint Law Enforcement to Safeguard  Cooperation

In December 2017， the Integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Center of Lancang-Mekong River was officially put into operation， marking a milestone in the law enforcement and security cooperation in the Lancang-Mekong River basin. It is the crystallization of the wisdom of the river basin governments in response to the changing security situation and its risks and challenges.

The Integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Center of the Lancang-Mekong River （hereafter the Center） is the first integrated intergovernmental organization for law enforcement and security cooperation along the Lancang-Mekong River. Its decision-making body is the Ministerial Conference on Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin， the strategic plans and decisions of which are then deployed by the central secretariat. The Center consists of five departments， namely， the Mekong Joint Patrol Enforcement Command， Intelligence Integration and Case Investigation Department， Joint Action Coordination Department， Law Enforcement Capacity Construction Department， and Comprehensive Security Department. These departments are responsible for coordinating sub-regional parties to carry out such tasks as joint patrol， information sharing and assistance， joint operations， and training and exchange. With the Center acting as a platform， member states may coordinate their efforts to combat serious criminal crimes， fraud， human trafficking， smuggling of firearms， drug trafficking， and terrorism in the basin area.

Since the establishment of the Center， the countries in the basin have gradually diversified their cooperation endeavors. The international cooperation has evolved from joint search and rescue operations and joint anti-drug efforts， to also address the joint fight against terrorism， preventing illegal entry and exit at border areas， and combating human trafficking and cybercrimes， delivering remarkable results.

Firstly， the Center has adopted the “virtual machine + cloud service” advanced network encryption technology to set up a crime information center and a police data transmission network that covers the “four horizontals and two verticals” in the area. It has also set up an investigation and intelligence information management system for cross-border cases. These measures provide technological support and services for the assisted investigation of cases. Additionally， the Center has also built a 720P high-definition encrypted video conferencing system which supports convenient and clear telecommunication among the Lancang-Mekong countries.

Apart from promoting cooperation in case investigations and organizing joint operations， the Center has also hosted various law enforcement cooperation seminars to propose joint initiatives to combat crimes， reach consensus on cooperation， focus on key issues， and conduct targeted strikes.

Finally， the Center has held various training sessions to enhance the comprehensive law enforcement capacities for joint defense and rescue operations in the Lancang-Mekong River basin. These training sessions combine theories with authentic case analyses and are hence warmly received by the trainees. For example， the training session for community chiefs of police has been applauded by the participants with its carefully designed， practice-oriented syllabus covering the anti-terrorism situation in the region， drug crime prevention， community policing， the fight against human trafficking， the sharing of experiences in joint case investigation， and so on.

Since the LMC mechanism was launched five years ago， great achievements have been attained in all fields of cooperation. The success of the LMC cooperation and the peace and stability of the LMC sub-region are to a large extent dependent on the joint law enforcement cooperation. It is firmly believed that the LMC will have an even brighter future with the joint efforts of the six countries and with the advancing of the “Belt and Road Initiative.”

（The author is a research fellow at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences）■

（Translated by Agnes）