Beijing, Dec 15–China and Mekong countries have in recent years pushed forward Lancang-Mekong water resources cooperation despite external noise and interference, and made substantial progress, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday.
“China welcomes constructive suggestions from countries outside the region on the development and utilization of water resources by Lancang-Mekong countries, but we firmly oppose malicious moves to drive a wedge between us,” spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a daily press briefing.
Wang made the remarks when commenting on a U.S.-funded project using satellites to track water levels at Chinese dams on the Mekong river and then make the information public.
Since last month, China has started providing Lancang River’s hydrological data for the whole year with the Mekong countries and an information sharing platform of Lancang-Mekong water resources cooperation was put in operation recently, Wang said. He added that the six riparian countries also share major operation of hydropower stations and relevant data in a timely manner with each other through the mechanism of the joint working group on water resources cooperation, thus increasing the transparency of information on Lancang-Mekong water resources cooperation.
Wang said the upstream hydropower stations have played their full role in reducing the water flow during the wet season and increasing it during the dry season, adding that since the construction of hydropower stations along the Lancang River, the reservoirs store water in the flood season for later use in the dry season, which has effectively prevented the drastic fluctuation of the discharge flow.
“The international science community and the Mekong River Commission believe that the Lancang cascade hydropower station will help maintain the stability of the Mekong river flow and is beneficial to the flood control and drought relief efforts of Mekong countries,” he said.
Since the launch of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, China has helped Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar prepare comprehensive watershed plans and irrigation plans, Wang said, adding that China has also actively assisted downstream countries in formulating flood prevention and disaster reduction plans and delivered hydropower energy from the Lancang River to downstream countries such as Myanmar and Laos.
China also helped downstream countries train water conservancy talent, and carry out water conservancy and hydropower development, said the spokesperson.
“China will unswervingly advance Lancang-Mekong water resources cooperation and make greater contribution to the six countries’ joint response to drought and flood and promotion of sustainable development,” Wang said.
