A view of the Mekong River. Photo: VCG

China welcomes "constructive suggestions" from countries outside the Lancang-Mekong River valleys on the development and utilization of the river's water resources, but firmly opposes intentional provocation, said the country's Foreign Ministry on Monday, responding to a question on a US-funded program that will use satellites to monitor river dams on the upstream of the Lancang River.

The Mekong Dam Monitor, a US-funded project, uses data from satellites to track and publish almost real-time information on the water levels of dams in China and other countries, media reported on Monday.

"During recent years, China and other Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) countries have pushed forward Lancang-Mekong water resource cooperation despite noise and interference from outside the region," said Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry, on Monday.

Wang noted that cooperation on data sharing, hydropower stations and water resource development had achieved tangible results.

Since last month, China has been providing other LMC countries with hydrological information on the Lancang-Mekong River throughout the year, and the Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Information Sharing Platform has recently been put into operation.

Through this mechanism, the six Lancang-Mekong countries - China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia - have shared major hydropower station operational data, enhancing the transparency of information on the river's water resource cooperation.

Following the construction of the Lancang River hydropower station, the need for flood storage in the rainy season and water discharge in the dry season have been effectively averted, said Wang. The international scientific community believes that the Lancang-Mekong's cascade hydropower stations have contributed to the stability of the river flow, and helped with flood control and drought relief across the region. 

Wang said that the facts fully reflect the achievements linked to water resource cooperation under the LMC program.

"Facts speak louder than words. China will push forward Lancang-Mekong water resource cooperation, forming a key part of a six-party partnership responding to drought and flood disasters, and enhancing the river region's sustainable development," Wang added.

The construction of other projects alongside the Lancang-Mekong River has been accelerated this year, including the completed China-Laos railway tunnel, and the resumption of the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway. 

Apart from infrastructure and water resources, the cooperation mechanism also covers other fields. In Myanmar, for example, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund has invested in 22 projects in areas such as education and information technology.




Newspaper headline: China ‘opposes US provocation’ on Lancang-Mekong