Guizhou joins online forum on Lancang-Mekong cooperation

Guizhou representatives attend the Forum on Lancang-Mekong Local Government Cooperation online, and look forward to enhancing cooperation with Mekong River Basin countries in education, traditional medicine, tourism and poverty alleviation. [Photo/ddcpc website]

The Forum on Lancang-Mekong Local Government Cooperation was held online and offline on Dec 17. Representatives from Guizhou, Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan, and Shaanxi, as well as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam attended the event.

The forum was organized by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the government of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, with the theme of "boosting local exchange and enhancing Lancang-Mekong cooperation".

Representatives of Southwest China's Guizhou province attended the forum online. As the permanent site of the China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week, Guizhou is involved in a number of education projects with ASEAN countries.

The number of international students from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, which are countries in the Mekong River Basin, ranks first among Guizhou's international students.

Guizhou also founded the International Mountain Tourism Alliance, and is home to its headquarters. The province boasts more than 460 scenic spots above national A-level, and is striving to become an international mountain tourism destination.

The province hopes to become a tourist destination and tourist source for countries in Mekong River Basin, and share its experience to help the Mekong River Basin countries lift themselves out of poverty.

The Lancang-Mekong cooperation mechanism was established five years ago, and has survived a fast-changing international situation and the COVID-19 pandemic. The cooperation mechanism has brought benefits to local people, and Guizhou hopes to expand the partnership to include education, traditional medicine, tourism and poverty alleviation.