It’s my great pleasure to attend the opening ceremony of the 1st China-ASEAN Dam Safety Science Popularization Contest. First of all, on behalf of Department of International Cooperation, Science and Technology, MWR of China, I would like to extend my warm congratulations on the kicking-off of the contest, my sincere gratitude to the jury committee, and my best wishes to all contestants! My thanks also go to Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute and Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center and all contest co-organizers for your efforts in organizing this contest.

This year marks the 30th Anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relationship between China and ASEAN. Over the past 30 years, the dialogue between China and ASEAN has achieved remarkable progress and milestone results, and has become the pivotal to ensure the peace and stability as well as development and prosperity in the region. On this Monday, at the Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations, China and ASEAN agreed to elevate their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, and made the proposal to build a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home together.  

In recent years, with the support of Chinese government, MWR of China and ASEAN countries’ water authorities have conducted a series of cooperation programs, including estuary management, typhoon disaster prevention, emergency management of flood control and drought relief, and exchange program of young talents in hydro areas. Meanwhile, MWR of China is stepping up practical cooperation in areas of information sharing, technology exchange, capacity building, and joint research with Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam under the framework of Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Mechanism, which injects new impetus for the water cooperation between China and ASEAN.   

Linked by land and sea, both China and ASEAN are located in the East and South East Asian region where floods and droughts occur frequently, and they share similar natural, economic and social conditions as well as disaster prevention features. Under the backdrop of global climate change, ASEAN countries are featured with sudden, frequent and concurrent occurrences of natural disasters including flood and drought, which casts severe threat to local economic and social development, and to people’s life and property. For a long time, ASEAN countries have been committed to solving all kinds of flood and drought disasters. Through the construction of dams and other water conservancy projects, water disasters have been transformed into water conservancy, effectively ensuring the sustainable development of economy and society. By strengthening international exchanges and cooperation, we are seeking joint solutions to the challenges of global climate change. 

At the same time, we also realize that, though governments, research institutes and relevant international organizations are making continuous efforts, the public still lack scientifically and objectively aware on the characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of reservoir dams, thus causing a lot of misunderstandings, misinformation and complaints, and the “positive energy” of dams in flood control, power generation, water supply and irrigation has not been fully interpreted. 

The project, Construction and Demonstration on Dam Safety Supporting System for ASEAN Countries, is a concrete action taken by the governments of China and ASEAN countries to jointly cope with the floods and droughts caused by climate change through strengthened experience sharing and cooperation. And the contest today, is an important campaign to further enhance public awareness on dams. During the contest, 28 contestants from ASEAN member countries and China will share and popularize the knowledge, development outcomes and practical experience in the field of dam safety. I suggest all the contestants cherish this exchange opportunity, inspire from each other, promote the dam safety technical exchange and cooperation, and spread more professional knowledge in words that can be easily understood and accepted by the public, thus appealing to more people to participate in the sustainable management and utilization of water resources, and making positive contributions to improve the well-being of the people in China and ASEAN countries. 

Now, the COVID-19 is still spreading. I sincerely wish all of you and your families good health and look forward to meeting with you in person once the pandemic is under effective control.  

Last but not least, let me thank the organizers and all the participating representatives again, and wish the contest a great success.