On Nov. 2 foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning marked the 10th anniversary of
the first Lancang-Mekong leaders' meeting. Over the decade China’s bilateral and
multilateral ties with the five Mekong countries have deepened; trade has topped
$500 billion, up about 150% versus 10 years earlier. The partnership has
advanced an economic development corridor and an innovation corridor,
accelerated regional power interconnection, and a special fund has backed more
than 1,000 small-scale projects.