Editorials

United against disaster

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-04-06 07:55

It's heartening to see that the first Mekong River Commission (MRC) Summit turned out to be a platform for forging regional cooperation against the dwindling water level of the river. The outcome will pave the way for more joint efforts from countries bordering the river to fight the ongoing drought there and manage the waterway more efficiently.

The summit meeting, attended by leaders from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand, concluded in Thailand on Monday with participants pledging to work closer in dealing with the drought.

This will be a blessing to the more than 60 million people who rely on the Mekong for their livelihoods. Since the end of last year, people in lower basin countries have been suffering from a severe drought that has brought Mekong's water level to the lowest mark in 50 years.

As a partner in the MRC and a country that is situated in the upper stretch of the Mekong, China sent its Vice-Foreign Minister Song Tao to participate. Song promised that China would cooperate with other Mekong-bordering countries in drought-and-flood relief, cooperation on hydropower development, and sharing information.

China's pledges indicate that the country can be trusted as a responsible partner. The country's southwest region is also suffering from the devastating drought that has struck the Lancang-Mekong basin, with more than 23 million people now with very little drinking water.

In the fight against a regional calamity, it's only natural that China and its Southeast Asian neighbors unite in their fight against the disaster.

(China Daily 04/06/2010 page8)