Cambodian scholars support Chinese premier's remarks at 3rd LMC leaders' meeting

Cambodian scholars voiced their support for Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's remarks delivered at the third Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Leaders' Meeting via video link on Monday.

In his speech, Li said China will give priority to providing COVID-19 vaccines to the Mekong countries once a vaccine is developed and put into use.

He also announced that China will share the annual hydrological information of the Lancang River with Mekong countries starting from this year, to better address climate change as well as floods and droughts.

On promoting connectivity, Li proposed synergizing the LMC with the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, which traverses western China and connects Southeast Asia with the Eurasian continent.

Chheang Vannarith, president of the think tank Asian Vision Institute in Phnom Penh, said Li's remarks reflected China's commitment to help the LMC countries fight the pandemic and to boost socio-economic recovery in the post-pandemic era.

"China has shown responsible leadership in helping other LMC member countries to mitigate and recover from COVID-19," he told Xinhua.

"Promoting transparency such as sharing hydrological data is critical to building mutual understanding and trust among the LMC members," he said.

Vannarith added that linking the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation with the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor will contribute to enhancing inter-regional connectivity between Southeast Asia with the Eurasian continent.

Joseph Matthews, senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said Li's remarks truly showed China's efforts to assist the LMC countries towards building a community of shared future of peace and prosperity.

"Premier Li's words are a sign of relief for LMC countries," he told Xinhua. "It also shows China's attitudes and conviction towards its neighbors who are connected by mountains and rivers and always stand together through thick and thin."

Li's pledge to set up special funds to promote public health under the framework of the LMC Special Fund is also a sign of China's compassion and care for the wellbeing of its neighbors, Matthews said.

"I strongly believe that the LMC, under the joint efforts by all parties, will become an example of sub-regional cooperation, a vivid practice of building a new type of international relations, and a preview of the community of shared future for mankind," the professor said. "It will help attain the Lancang-Mekong dream that will benefit all people in the sub-region, undoubtedly."

Uch Leang, head of Department of Asian, African and Middle East Studies of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia, said the meeting's outcome would serve as a roadmap for the LMC countries to continue their socio-economic development towards a sub-region of peace and shared prosperity.

"The meeting has significantly contributed to the promotion of mutual trust and understanding among the LMC countries," he told Xinhua.

The meeting has shown that the LMC leaders are committed to addressing the impacts of the pandemic in the spirit of solidarity, mutual help and support, he added.

"I myself really appreciate China for its efforts in producing COVID-19 vaccines and I'm delighted to learn that China will give LMC countries priority access to COVID-19 vaccines once one is developed and put into use," he said.

Lancang and Mekong differ in name, but refer to the same river. It is called the Lancang River in China, while in its downstream after flowing out of China's Yunnan Province, it is called the Mekong River, running across Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Linked by mountains and rivers, the six LMC countries feature cultural similarities, enjoy profound traditional friendship and share closely inter-connected security and development interests.

The LMC mechanism was launched in March 2016, as the first LMC leaders' meeting was held in Sanya in south China's Hainan Province.