Noisy business
Yan Yizhang, from Xishuangbanna, has worked in the small, muggy engine room of a patrol vessel for 10 years. Every time the boat departs on a mission, the machinery creates a din, forcing him to concentrate hard to detect any problems.
He said he seldom contacts his family during a patrol, as he needs to watch the engine and respond to emergencies quickly. He even sleeps in the engine room, and also knows the locations of rapids and rocks in the river.
Returning from a patrol in January 2015, one of the engines broke down, and there was a risk of the vessel overturning as it battled a fierce current. Yan immediately told his colleagues to make for the shore. Despite toiling in high temperatures, nine workers fixed the problem in six hours.
Four years earlier, during another mission, a Laotian patrol boat was holed after hitting a reef, with water engulfing the engine room. Yan and his team quickly repaired the damage, and there were no deaths or injuries. He was awarded a second-class merit for his actions.
Despite the difficulties he faces, Yan said he does the job out of a love for his country. "The best thing for me is taking a hot shower at ports of call. It feels really great," he said.
During a videoconference early last month to mark the 10th anniversary of the joint missions, officials and police from the four countries approved a plan for patrol and law enforcement, vessel maintenance and joint training.
They agreed that security on the Mekong had significantly improved, although crimes involving drugs, gambling and internet fraud still pose challenges.
Strengthened cooperation is needed on exchanging information, marine skills, maintaining equipment, and controlling the pandemic, they said.
Such action would help prevent cross-border crimes, promote environmental protection and anti-terrorism measures, safeguard information security, and contribute to the Belt and Road Initiative, the participants added.
