The Lancang-Mekong Environmental Cooperation Center was founded in Beijing on Nov. 28, 2017, with a mission to promote the ecological and environmental cooperation in the six countries in the Lancang River-Mekong River basin and promote sustainable development. Vice Minister Huang Runqiu presented at the founding ceremony, announced together with delegates of the Mekong countries the inauguration of the Lancang-Mekong Environmental Cooperation Center, and delivered remarks.

In his remarks, Huang noted that in March 2016, Premier Li Keqiang proposed the establishment of Lancang-Mekong Environmental Cooperation Center at the first Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting, which has marked that the Lancang-Mekong environmental cooperation has become an integral part of this region’s efforts in jointly negotiating, establishing, and sharing a new sub-regional cooperation mechanism. The Lancang and Mekong countries as developing countries share similar economic and environmental issues with China which is also a developing country. Our common goals are to share green experience, improve environmental quality, and promote the sustainable development of the countries concerned. 1

“With the same source of water, we share a common future” is what behind the establishment of this Center, said Huang. With this center as a platform, the Lancang-Mekong countries will outline the top design for environmental cooperation and map out the cooperation strategy; advance regional environmental policy communications and dialogues, conduct pragmatic cooperation, implement flagship projects on priority areas of cooperation under the green Lancang-Mekong initiative, introduce new models of cooperation and contribute wisdoms to regional cooperation.

Madame Khek C Sydoda, the Cambodian ambassador to China spoke on behalf of the Mekong countries that she believes the Lancang-Mekong Environmental Cooperation Center will be a propeller for regional sustainable development, which promotes the establishment of Lancang-Mekong ecological and environmental cooperation and environmental policy dialogue platforms, and uplifts the all-dimensional cooperation with the ASEAN countries and China.

The Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese ambassadors to China, the minister counselors of the Burmese and Thai embassies, and delegates of Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NDRC, MWC, MOFCOM, the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), and Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center attended the founding ceremony.