Cooperate for water

The severe drought in the Mekong River basin in Southeast Asia should be tackled through strengthened regional cooperation rather than by accusing China of wrongdoing.

It is true that the drought, triggered by the lowest water level in the Mekong in 20 years, is threatening Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. But it is also true that China's southwest region, adjacent to the sub-Mekong region, is also in the grip of a drought, in fact, the worst drought in a century.

The lifeline for more than 60 million people living in its basin, the Mekong is the source of their drinking water, irrigation, fishing and transport. And data show tributaries in Southeast Asian countries contribute to greater volume of the river's water.