By Zhang Hongfei & Zhang Youyi, Research Team on “The International Cooperation Mechanism for Advancing the Belt and Road Initiative”, International Cooperation Department, DRC

Research Report, No.87, 2019 (Total 5587) 2019-6-6

Abstract: As a new-type cooperation platform jointly launched and established by six countries along the Lancang and Mekong Rivers, Lancang-Meikong Cooperation (LMC) mechanism is in keeping with the local social and economic integrated development. Over the past three years since its founding, by focusing on regional social and economic development, the LMC mechanism, based on refined structure and sound system, has achieved significant progress on its mechanism construction and project cooperation through multilateral exchanges. Besides, as it is in line with the major goal of the Belt and Road Initiative and the enhancement of policy communication, road inter-connectivity, trade flow, currency circulation and common aspirations of the people, it has become a regional cooperation mechanism for advancing the Belt and Road Initiative with a strong institutional binding force. LMC mechanism boasts important implications to the establishment of the Belt and Road international cooperation mechanism. On the one hand, by referring to the experience of LMC mechanism, the establishment of the Belt and Road international cooperation mechanism needs to leverage the support and cooperation by relevant countries and advance step by step the social and economic development projects so as to continuously solidify the foundation for the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. On the other hand, the LMC mechanism needs to be incorporated with the network of the Belt and Road international cooperation mechanism and make it become a regional platform for advancing the Belt and Road Initiative.

Key words: Lancang-Meikong Cooperation (LMC), the Belt and Road Initiative, the international cooperation mechanism