China’s Initiatives of BeiDou Application and Demonstration Project at the Lancang-MeKong Cooperation Meeting

Chinese premier Li Keqiang attended the 2nd Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (MLC) Leaders' Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in the afternoon of January 10th, 2018, local time. The meeting was co-chaired by Li Keqiang and Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, which also brought together Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Myanmar Vice President U Myint Swe.

Le Keqiang stated that the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) framework was the first sub-regional cooperation mechanism co-established by six countries along the Mekong River and an important platform for the mutual negotiation and co-establishment of "One Belt and One Road". Underpinned by the cooperation principles of "Development First, Equal Negotiation, Practicability and Efficiency, Openness and Inclusiveness", we have made remarkable achievements beyond expectation and formed a Lancang-MeKong landscape of "Leaders Guidance, Full Coverage and All Departments Participation". Li said that with progress and results delivered daily, monthly and annually, a truly remarkable LMC speed had been created, and a Lancang-Mekong culture of "Equal Treatment, Sincere Mutual Assistance and Family-like Closeness".

Li Keqiang said that we needed to implement the Joint Statement on Production Capacity Cooperation Among Lancang-Mekong Countries, formulate a Plan of Network Connectivity among Lancang-Mekong Countries and a Plan of Action on Production Capacity Cooperation among Lancang-Mekong Countries, and explore ways to establish an Alliance for Promotion of Production Capacity and Investment Cooperation among Lancang-Mekong Countries and a Lancang-Mekong business council. He also mentioned the desire to promote current economic and trade cooperation zones and cross border economic cooperation zones, and to explore new industrial parks with specificities. China initiated to launch the project of "System Building and Civilian Application Demonstration of BeiDou Satellite Positioning and Guidance Services along Lancang-Mekong river (phase-1)", increase the application of Global Navigation Satellite System including BeiDou system in the fields of infrastructure construction, transportation, logistics, tourism and agriculture, and facilitate the global application of BeiDou with the cornerstone of "One Belt and One Road".