China News Service, Kunming, March 23 (Han Shuinan) The Blue Book of the "Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Development Report (2020)" released on the 23rd pointed out that the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (hereinafter referred to as the "Lancang-Mekong Cooperation") has been achieved since its inception in 2016. Many developments have been made, but the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic and the "major changes unseen in a century" faced by the world in recent years are also facing the huge impact. It requires relevant countries to actively respond, deepen cooperation, and tide over the difficulties together.

  The blue book shows that the global outbreak has caused the economy of the Mekong countries to stall and decline.

In order to alleviate the economic impact of the epidemic as much as possible, the Mekong countries have introduced "rescue market" policies. This "rescue market competition" may cause some financially fragile Mekong countries to fall into the dilemma of debt growth.

In addition, the border "blockade effect" caused by the epidemic may impede the interconnection and industrial cooperation under the framework of the "Belt and Road" and Lancang-Mekong Cooperation in the short term, bringing greater uncertainty to the space and mode of industrial transfer in related countries. Sex.

Data map: A China-Laos-Myanmar-Thailand joint patrol and law enforcement boat on the Mekong River passes by the cargo ships of various countries.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Miao Chao

  The Blue Book also pointed out that under the impact of the epidemic, global and regional supply chains are facing reshaping.

In the future, international economic cooperation will consider more geographical and regional factors, and overseas investment enterprises may focus their operations closer to the local area. This will promote the rise of geo-economic partnerships and regional economic integration will gain new impetus.

  The blue paper recommends that Lancang-Mekong countries include public health as a priority area in the Lancang-Mekong "3+5+X" cooperation framework, and gradually establish a Lancang-Mekong public health cooperation mechanism that integrates peacetime monitoring and early warning mechanisms and crisis prevention and control mechanisms.

At the same time, deepen the cooperation in production capacity and investment between Lancang-Mekong countries, cultivate new economic growth points in the fields of e-commerce, artificial intelligence and big data technology applications, and expand in the fields of digitalization and information communication, especially telemedicine, distance education, and 5G. , Exchange and cooperation in the field of big data.

  The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation is a new sub-regional cooperation mechanism jointly initiated and constructed by China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The "Blue Book of Lancang-Mekong Cooperation" was compiled by the Greater Mekong Subregional Research Center and the Neighboring Diplomacy Research Center of Yunnan University. Since its publication in 2010, it has become a master of the political, economic, diplomatic, and social development trends of relevant countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Important information, and authoritative books that analyze hotspots and key issues in sub-regional cooperation.

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