On December 7, 2021, a meeting on Transboundary River Cooperation and Information Sharing was successfully held. The meeting, a session of the 2nd Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Forum, was co-hosted by the International Economic & Technical Cooperation and Exchange Center of the Ministry of Water Resources of China and the Viet Nam National Mekong Committee.

The session was co-chaired by Mr. Jin Hai, director general of the International Economic & Technical Cooperation and Exchange Center of the Ministry of Water Resources of China and Mr. Truong Hong Tien, deputy director general of the Viet Nam National Mekong Committee. Mr. Zhong Yong, head of the Joint Working Group on Water Resources of the LMC from China and Consul of the Department of International Cooperation and Sci-Tech of the Ministry of Water Resources of China and Mr. Truong Hong Tien delivered speeches on behalf of China and Viet Nam respectively.

Experts from riparian countries of China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam, Cambodia and representatives and renowned scholars from international institutions such as Asian Water Council, Oxford University, the Mekong River Commission Secretariat and Stockholm Environment Institute fully exchanged opinions and shared experience on such topics as transboundary environment impact assessment, water resources utilization and protection for the Lancang-Mekong River, research-policy partnership in transboundary water cooperation, transboundary river cooperation and information sharing, response to flood and drought disasters in the Mekong River Basin as well as the importance of scientific research in transboundary river cooperation.

The world today is going through profound changes unseen in a century and witnessing combined impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple challenges in regional development. The participating experts highlighted that water resources cooperation among the LMC countries is essential in the context of insufficient water resources for economic development in the LMC countries and challenges from climate change. The LMC countries need to enhance policy dialogue, technical exchanges, information sharing and project cooperation on transboundary water cooperation, put people first, promote green development and ecological conservation, explore new approaches to water resources management, work together against all risks and challenges and promote the equitable and reasonable utilization of water resources for common prosperity.

More than 100 experts and scholars from various countries attended the meeting online and offline.