This  year marks the 7th anniversary of the launch of the Lancang-Mekong  Cooperation. As a new sub-regional cooperation mechanism jointly  established by riparian countries of China, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos,  Myanmar, and Vietnam, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation has developed  rapidly and achieved remarkable results in the past seven years, making  it a veritable “golden example” of regional cooperation. Upholding the  Lancang-Mekong concept of "development first, equality, practicality and  efficiency, openness and inclusiveness", the six member countries have  remained committed to seeking development, promoting cooperation,  improving people's livelihood, and taking action, stood in solidarity  against the test of COVID-19 and made positive contributions to  promoting regional peace, stability and prosperity.

Over  the past seven years, the six member countries have worked together to  make the area a land of robust growth for development and jointly  advanced the high quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.  In 2022, bucking the impact of the pandemic, China's trade with the  other five member countries reached US$416.7 billion. The China-Laos  Railway successfully opened to traffic, transporting 417,300 passengers  and 647,700 tons of goods in January-February 2023 only, a year-on-year  increase of 256.2% and 320% respectively and continuously improving  regional connectivity. The six member countries have worked together to  forge a land of security and firmly maintained regional stability. All  parties have worked together to address the threats and challenges to  traditional and non-traditional security in the Lancang-Mekong  Sub-region, maintain the security of  regional industrial chain, finance  and energy, create a big market of the Lancang-Mekong River area with  extensive participation and shared benefits, and promote the pilot area  of the Global Security Initiative. The six member countries have worked  together to make the region a place where people can live a safe and  happy life and continued to share the dividends of this cooperation. Six  major plans benefiting the Mekong countries have been launched to  deepen agricultural cooperation, public health, poverty reduction and  disaster alleviation, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges,  including the" Hundred, Thousand, Ten Thousand Action Plan on  Lancang-Mekong Agricultural Cooperation", the " Plan on Lancang-Mekong  Water Resources Benefitting the People", the "Lancang-Mekong Talent  Plan" and the "Lancang-Mekong Public Health Cooperation Plan", bringing  tangible benefits to the people of the six member countries.

Thailand  is the main initiator of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism and  is set to take over as a Co-chair this year, playing an increasingly  prominent role as a partner within the mechanism. Thailand has actively  participated in the use of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund.  So far, 59 projects of Thailand have been approved, getting more than  US$16 million from the budget support. The fund has promoted the  implementation of a large number of high quality, "small  yet beautiful" projects that benefit people’s livelihood, covering areas  of water resources, cross-border trade, poverty reduction through  agriculture, health and environmental protection, youth development, and  has made important contributions to the improvement of Thai people's  livelihood and economic and social development.

President  Xi Jinping's successful visit to Thailand last year pointed out the way  forward for the future development of the bilateral relations, and also  injected strong impetus into the deep and solid development of the  Lancang-Mekong Cooperation. Guided by the important consensus of the two  leaders, China and Thailand need to speed up the building of a  community with a shared future for the two countries and jointly advance  the high quality building of the Belt and Road Initiative. Along with  cooperation in traditional fields, we need to comprehensively deepen  practical cooperation in various fields with an eye to expand  cooperation in digital economy, green economy, and the new energy  industry etc.. China has advanced technology and advantageous production  capacity in industries such as intelligent manufacturing, 5G  technology, e-commerce, electric vehicles and photo-voltaic products.  China-Thailand cooperation will help promote the economic development of  Thailand, and it has the potential to become a new highlight and growth  driver of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation.

At  present, China is marching with confidence on a new journey of building  a modern socialist country in all respects, striving toward the second  centenary goal, and making strides in the rejuvenation of the Chinese  nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. China will  firmly adhere to the basic national policy and the win-win strategy of  opening up, promote high-quality development and foster a new  development paradigm.With the well-being of the people of the six member  countries in mind, China stands ready to work with the other  Lancang-Mekong countries, including Thailand, to seek cooperation  persistently, promote development wholeheartedly, build a more resilient  Lancang-Mekong economic development belt and a closer Lancang-Mekong  community with a shared future, and open a new chapter in Lancang-Mekong  cooperation.