BEIJING: Pointing out the “pauk-phaw” friendship between China and Myanmar, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday said China is ready to strengthen cooperation with Myanmar to “upgrade the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC)” and “build a closer LMC community with a shared future.”
The foreign minister made the remarks when holding talks with Myanmar’s Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin in Bagan, Myanmar. The two officials met on the sidelines of the seventh LMC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. During the talk, the two sides exchanged views on Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC).
Noting that Myanmar is “an initiator, active participant and important beneficiary of the LMC,” Wang said China is ready to “strengthen coordination and cooperation with Myanmar to upgrade the LMC mechanism and build a closer LMC community with a shared future.”
Wang said the LMC should synergize with the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping, and create pilot demonstration zones for the implementation of the two initiatives.
U Wunna Maung Lwin said the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative are of great significance to safeguarding world peace, safeguarding multilateralism and promoting common development, and Myanmar is willing to take an active part in them.
When exchanging views on bilateral cooperation, Wang said that China is ready to work with Myanmar to implement the outcomes of President Xi’s historic visit to Myanmar, “forge the four pillars of political mutual trust, mutually beneficial cooperation, people-to-people bonds and mutual learning in culture and people-to-people exchanges, so as to push the building of a China-Myanmar community with a shared future to a new level.”
U Wunna Maung Lwin thanked China for its tremendous support for Myanmar’s development and said that Myanmar fully supports China’s legitimate stances on issues related to core interests.
The two sides also spoke highly of the progress made in practical cooperation and agreed to accelerate the construction of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC), implement the cross-border power grids agreement, ensure the smooth operation of the China-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline, discuss the “CMEC plus” cooperation at an appropriate time.
–The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
