Dear Mr. Chairman,  

Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good afternoon.  It’s my pleasure to attend the Joint Meeting. At the outset, I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to Mr. Hatda, CEO of the MRC Secretariat for his contributions to promoting sub-regional cooperation and deepening the partnership between the MRC and China over the past three years.

As we meet, the pandemic continues to pose a grave challenge and global economic recovery remains fragile and difficult. Facing difficulties and challenges, China has stood firmly together with Mekong countries and supported each other in combating the virus and reviving economy. In the first half of this year, trade between China and Mekong countries reached 192.2 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of nearly 40%, and it is expected to hit a new high by the end of this year. China has actively carried out international and regional anti-pandemic cooperation. We have offered medical supplies and technical assistance, and shared experience with countries in need, including Mekong countries. China has announced that it would provide a total of two billion doses of vaccines to the world in the course of this year, and has so far provided over 1.7 billion doses, including donations to more than 110 countries, including Mekong countries.

In recent years, China works closely with Mekong countries to promote the joint construction and benefit sharing of the Belt and Road Initiative and Lancang-Mekong Cooperation. Since last year, China has been providing Mekong countries and MRC with year-round hydrological data of the Lancang River, which marks a new level of our cooperation on the Lancang River hydrological information sharing for 18 consecutive years, and it is a milestone achievement. In June this year, China successfully hosted the 6th LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting which achieved fruitful outcomes, and ushered us into "Golden Five Years" of LMC. China welcomes stronger synergy between MRC and LMC to promote the common development and common prosperity in the sub-region.

Ladies and gentles,

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China(CPC). Not long ago, the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee was successfully held. The plenary meeting adopted the Resolution of the Central Committee of the CPC on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century, which comprehensively summarized the major achievements and historical experience of the CPC in the past century. The part of the diplomatic front in the Resolution makes a systematic review of basic positions, fundamental principles, and successful practices of China’s diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era, including the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness and the policy of forging friendship and partnership with our neighbors. China will continue to implement this policy for a community of shared future for the Lancang-Mekong countries. As President Xi Jinping said at the Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations a few days ago, China and ASEAN can build a peaceful home, a safe and secure home, a prosperous home, a beautiful home, and an amicable home together. China is ready to donate an additional 150 million doses of COVID vaccines to ASEAN countries, and will contribute an additional 5 million USD to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund. China is ready to provide ASEAN with another 1.5 billion USD of development assistance in the next three years. China is ready to import up to 150 billion USD worth of agricultural products from ASEAN in the next five years. And China will provide 1,000 items of advanced and applicable technology to ASEAN. 

At present, the development and cooperation of our sub-region has attracted great attention from the international community. China welcomes countries outside the region to constructively participate in sub-regional cooperation. It is expected that the support of development partners will make contributions to the development and management of Mekong River water resources, and promote sustainable development and post-epidemic recovery in the sub-region. It’s also expected that development partners will uphold the spirit of partnership, focus on pragmatic cooperation, jointly maintain the peaceful development environment, and promote the unity of the sub-region and well-beings of people.

Thank you.