YNU Vice-President Zhang Li awards certificates to race winners. [Photo/ynu.edu.cn]

Yunnan University (YNU) held the 2018 Lancang-Mekong Day in partnership with Yunnan Foreign Affairs Office and the International Center of Mekong Studies, on March 22.

Lancang-Mekong Day took place in the context of China’s efforts to promote exchanges and cooperation with countries from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), especially with the other five countries along the Lancang-Mekong River, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

The event consisted of a series of activities, including a running competition, tree planting and seminar, as well as the launch of new books, involving students and academics from the six countries.

Zhang Li, vice-president at YNU and Yang Mu, vice-director at Yunnan Foreign Affairs Office delivered speeches at the opening ceremony, with both expressing their wishes that the event be used as a platform to enhance exchanges between China and ASEAN nations, and between countries along the Lancang-Mekong River.

During the seminar, experts held discussions on how to better move forward cooperation between the Lancang-Mekong countries. Two books on the future direction of the partnership were also launched.

On March 23, 2016, leaders from the six countries held the first Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Leaders' Meeting to discuss further partnerships between the six countries, marking the official establishment of the Lancang-Mekong cooperative mechanism. 

During the second LMC leaders’ meeting in 2018, leaders from the six countries agreed to designate the week starting from March 23 as Lancang-Mekong Week. 

The event is another attempt YNU has made to respond to the proposal put forward at the LMC leaders’ meeting since the seminar held last year to celebrate the first anniversary of the Lancang-Mekong cooperative mechanism.

Attendees at Lancang-Mekong Day plant trees to symbolize friendship in the “international forest” at YNU. [Photo/ynu.edu.cn]

YNU holds a seminar on how to enhance cooperation and exchanges between the six countries. [Photo/ynu.edu.cn]