Mekong patrols begin

The launching of joint patrols on the Mekong River by China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand over the weekend is the initial result of the quartet's efforts to increase security and stability along the waterway.

The joint patrols have set a precedent for more transnational cooperation in security issues in the region.

On Saturday, five patrol boats equipped with heavy machine guns and carrying hundreds of armed police and military personnel from the four nations, acted as escorts to 10 Chinese cargo ships from Guanlei port in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China's Yunnan province. Thanks to the relay-like convoys, the Chinese flotilla safely arrived at Chiang Saen port in Thailand one day later.