quality of life of Cambodians in the area. Economic growth is the main emphasis of Cambodia. The Cambodian government views the Mekong cooperation framework as an increased opportunity to further develop economically and to strengthen international relations among countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. Cambodia particularly wishes to strengthen the relationship with China because China is a highly influential country in Cambodia. Between 1994 and 2014, China invested in Cambodia continuously and became the number one country with investment in Cambodia, accounting for 44% of all foreign investment or US$1.92 billion invested. The majority of Chinese investment was in infrastructure investment, bridge construction, and electric power investment, resulting in the growth and economic expansion of Cambodia. This is why the Cambodian government supports the cooperation projects fully. The Cambodian government hopes the projects will bring considerable benefits for the Cambodian people in a broad range of fields, from enhancing people’s livelihoods to capacity building in the fields of education, health, tourism, and ICT, to developing cooperation exchanges in Buddhism, and conserving and protecting cultural properties. Other tangible economic benefits could come directly from enhancing air travel in the LMC region, promoting the agricultural sector in addressing land degradation, as well as sustainable forest use and sustainable fisheries management in the Mekong sub-region (Xinhua News Agency, 2018d). Cambodia views itself as having the advantage of being a co-founder of this cooperation framework. With this advantage, Cambodia could shape development from the very beginning, co-creating the agenda and the various modalities for implementation. Since joining the LMC family in 2016, Cambodia has been an active supporter and enthusiastic participant of the mechanism. On December 21, 2017, China provided US$7.3 million from the LMC Special Fund to Cambodia for carrying out 16 projects in the kingdom, covering a variety of areas including agriculture, tourism, ICT, public health, education, research, water resources, and rural development, among others (Fei & Lu, 2018). These measures will provide strong support for poverty alleviation and socio-economic development in Cambodia.
In Myanmar, following a landslide victory in the November 2015 elections, led by the National League for Democracy (NLD), a civilian government came to power. Therefore, Myanmar’s foreign policy has become more open and more connected to the world, mainly focusing on establishing friendly and close political relations with regard to international matters that may arise firmly on the side of genuine democratic values, identifying and cooperating with other countries on joint economic enterprises of mutual benefit. In particular, Myanmar tries to work together for the benefit of the region on issues relating to regional organizations and programs. The State Counselor of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, has expressed the view that “Myanmar had no enemies, but relations with neighbors were more sensitive than others and needed to be carefully handled” (Xinhua News Agency, 2015). For example, China has been building up its relationship with Myanmar since the last government. After she came to power, Suu Kyi visited China first instead of the US. This was believed to be a pragmatic choice given that the newly elected Myanmar government gave massive importance to China and showed that China had played an instrumental role in Myanmar’s foreign diplomacy and stability. At the same time, Myanmar needs to balance its relationship with India, the rival of China in Asia. Myanmar needs to avoid being drawn into conflict zones in their common areas of influence and to know how to adapt whenever these two giants confront one another.
Myanmar needs to increase stability in international relations, especially with the powerful countries in the region. Therefore, joining the LMC has a positive impact for Myanmar. The country sees this framework as an opportunity to promote the relationship and cooperation with China without being involved in any conflict between China and India. Furthermore, the priority goals of the Myanmar government such as developing agriculture and improving infrastructure accord with the LMC objectives that emphasize economic cooperation, connectivity, and poverty reduction. Since state building is of paramount importance for the new government, Myanmar needs a massive amount of investment from foreign countries. Thus, joining in cooperation can positively help the economic development and national stability of Myanmar. China respects the position of Myanmar and hopes to increase input for the LMC, forging it into a new type of sub-regional cooperation mechanism, in a bid to jointly push forward sub-regional prosperity.
Vietnam is located along the lower Mekong. Although the Mekong River in Vietnam is only 230 kilometers long, the river is connected to many tributaries in Vietnam. The Mekong River contributes nearly 60% of the water volume each year. Its outflow to the South China Sea is an important area of agriculture. It is the largest area of the country, and transportation goes to the South China Sea. As Vietnam is downstream of the Mekong River, the country has been affected by dam construction upstream, particularly in China and Laos. This has been a major obstacle to Vietnam’s agriculture, especially in the year 2016 when the Vietnamese government requested that China drain the water downstream to solve the crisis. This is why Vietnam is most concerned about the issue of water resources management and the environment in the Mekong that results from upstream activities. The relationship between Vietnam and China, on the other hand, is not the same as between other countries in the Mekong sub-region. Unlike Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, the relationship between Vietnam and China is not as smooth due to disputes in the South China Sea. Participating in the Mekong cooperation framework, Vietnam hopes for a better development of water management in the Mekong River. The Prime Minister of Vietnam has stated that the LMC priorities will be given to hydro-meteorological statistics and information sharing, cooperation in response to drought and floods, and joint scientific research to construct reservoirs along the Mekong River. This cooperation will also be vital for infrastructure development that facilitates the flow of commodities, services and capital, and local people’s travel (Ganjanakhundee, 2018).
Additionally, the aim of the LMC framework should also be an important key to restoring the relationship between Vietnam and China. For example, Beijing agreed to discharge water from March 15 to April 10, 2016, from a dam in Yunnan at the request from the Mekong Delta countries, especially Vietnam, which was suffering its worst drought in 90 years (Liu, 2016). This action of cooperation reduced the tension from the South China Sea dispute.
The LMC mechanism also provides opportunities and the impetus to promote the ASEAN integration process. From the outset of the proposed mechanism, it was determined that LMC practical cooperation would be carried out through the three cooperation pillars, namely, (1) Political and Security issues, (2) Economic and Sustainable Development, and (3) Social Cultural and People-to-People exchange. This means that the objectives of the LMC are similar to the three pillars of the ASEAN community. They can promote practical and value-added cooperation in advancing sustainable development, narrowing development gaps, supporting the building of the ASEAN Community, and promoting the overall regional integration process. The five countries of the Mekong sub-region — Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam — are closely interconnected because they are all member countries of ASEAN and they have common goals in the building of a fruitful ASEAN community to share future peace and prosperity. China is a staunch supporter of ASEAN integration, and it is a major component of China’s ASEAN policy to help this regional cooperation organization to achieve its goal of integration through the development of the LMC mechanism.
It goes without saying that the successful operation of the LMC mechanism is also a positive opportunity for China. First, it is an important part in China’s implementation of the “Belt and Road” Initiative to establishing a community of shared future for humanity. The five countries downstream of China on the Mekong River represent a key area in the Belt and Road Initiatives. Thus, the LMC is considered by analysts to be an alternative mechanism for extending the sphere of influence of Beijing in a critical region, intending to promote regional peace and cooperation values (Cambodgemeg, 2018).
Second, the cooperation of the LMC is beneficial to the sustained, stable, and healthy development of China’s economy. The application of the LMC can also support China’s growth through infrastructure construction and by exporting its industrial capacity. This is just as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told the leaders of the Southeast Asian neighbors — in the challenging economic situation, better regional cooperation could help the Chinese economy to counter downward pressures. “We will explore building economic zones and industrial
