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China Values Cooperation on Lancang-Mekong River
The Chinese government has always attached great importance to the development of the Lancang-Mekong River and regards it as a link of friendship for people of the countries along the river, Chinese Minister of Communications Huang Zhendong said Tuesday in Xishuangbanna.
The river's opening to commercial navigation today marks a new era in shipping development on the river. It will boost the sub- regional economic cooperation and benefit people of countries along the river, Huang said.
The river runs through China, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.
The key to achieving a good result and promoting economic, trade and technological cooperation among countries along the river is to further improve conditions of navigation and make heavy-duty ships operational on the river, Huang said in an interview with Xinhua.
At present, the condition for navigation on the Lancang-Mekong River is quite poor. Dangerous shoals and submerged reefs exist in the river section between Laos and Myanmar, posing a threat to safety navigation, he stated.
A group composed of experts of the four countries has made spot investigations on many occasions and proposed a detailed plan.
China supports efforts to clear up the river course and put it on the agenda for cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Huang said.
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