This year, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) celebrates its 10th anniversary. As the first regional cooperation mechanism jointly established by six nations to build a shared future, the LMC has made significant strides over the past decade, advancing to become a key platform for regional collaboration.

Last month, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the six LMC countries (China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) would enhance cooperation across various sectors, aiming to develop LMC 2.0.

Over the past 10 years, the LMC has focused on political and security cooperation, economic and sustainable development, and socio-cultural exchanges. Key priorities include connectivity, industrial capacity cooperation, cross-border economy, water resources, agriculture, and poverty alleviation. Institutional frameworks have been strengthened, and practical collaboration has delivered tangible results.

Infrastructure connectivity has improved significantly. The China-Laos Railway and Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway are operating smoothly, while projects like the China-Thailand high-speed railway and China-Vietnam railway connectivity continue progressing. A multi-modal transportation network linking Yunnan to Mekong countries has also expanded, covering rail, road, air and waterways. In addition, the China-Laos-Thailand international freight train has launched successfully, and the LMC Express+ service now runs regularly.

In the economic field, trade between China and the Mekong nations has surged to 437 billion USD, a 125 percent increase since the mechanism's inception. China's direct investment in the region continues to grow, spanning energy, electricity, and infrastructure sectors.

People-to-people exchanges have also flourished. China has been the top source of tourists for Vietnam and Thailand for three consecutive years. With the launch of the China-Cambodia Tourism Year 2025, Cambodia expects over one million Chinese tourists this year.

The cooperation mechanism has been further refined. The LMC holds a leaders' summit every two years and a foreign ministers' meeting annually, along with the operation of six ministerial-level priority working groups.