Full text: Sanya Declaration of the First Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Leaders' Meeting (1)

The First Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Leaders' Meeting was held in Sanya, Hainan of south China on Wednesday. A joint declaration was issued after the meeting.

Following is the full text of the joint declaration:

Sanya Declaration of the First Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Leaders' Meeting

For a Community of Shared Future of Peace and Prosperity among Lancang-Mekong Countries

We, the Heads of State/Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, Lao People's Democratic Republic, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Kingdom of Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, on the occasion of the First Lancang Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Leaders' Meeting in Sanya, China on 23 March 2016;

Recognizing that our six countries are linked by mountains and rivers, share cultural similarities and enjoy good neighborliness and strong friendship, and that our security and development interests are closely inter-connected;

Noting with pleasure that our six countries enjoy deepening political trust and sound cooperation through establishment of bilateral comprehensive strategic partnerships, and multilateral coordination in regional and international frameworks in boosting peace, stability and development of the region and the world at large;

Acknowledging that our six countries, all located in the Lancang-Mekong area, face common tasks of developing the economy and improving people's living standards while, at the same time, face common challenges such as the increasing downward trend of the global and regional economy and non-traditional security threats such as terrorism, natural disasters, climate change, environmental problems, and pandemics;

Recalling that, H.E. Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, proposed the establishment of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Framework at the 17th China-ASEAN Summit, echoing Thailand's initiative on sustainable development of the Lancang-Mekong Sub-region;

Affirming the shared vision of the six member countries that the LMC would contribute to the economic and social development of sub-regional countries, enhance well-being of our people, narrow the development gap among regional countries and support ASEAN Community building as well as promoting the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and advancing South-South cooperation;

Welcoming the successful convening of the First LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting on 12 November 2015 in Jinghong, Yunnan Province, China, which issued the Concept Paper on the Framework of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and the Joint Press Communique of the First Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting;

Reaffirming our commitment to peace, stability, sustainable development and prosperity of the sub-region and our resolve to strengthen mutual trust and understanding and join forces in addressing economic, social and environmental challenges faced by the sub-region to realize its enormous potentials for development;

Stressing that LMC shall follow the spirit of openness and inclusiveness, tally with the priority areas of ASEAN Community building and ASEAN-China cooperation, and complement and develop in synergy with existing sub-regional cooperation mechanisms;

Further Stressing that LMC will be based on the principles of consensus, equality, mutual consultation and coordination, voluntarism, common contribution and shared benefits, and respect for the United Nations Charter and international laws;

Sharing the view that LMC will be conducted within a framework featuring leaders' guidance, all-round cooperation and broad participation, and follow a government-guided, multiple-participation, and project-oriented model and that the LMC is aimed at building a community of shared future of peace and prosperity and establishing the LMC as an example of a new type of international relations, featuring win-win cooperation;

Agreeing that LMC practical cooperation will be carried out through the three cooperation pillars, namely (1) political and security issues, (2) economic and sustainable development, and (3) social, cultural and people-to-people exchanges;

Endorsing the view that practical cooperation will start with five key priority areas during the initial stage of the LMC, namely connectivity, production capacity, cross-border economic cooperation, water resources, agriculture and poverty reduction, as agreed upon at the First LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting;

Hereby agree to take the following measures:

1. Promote high-level exchanges, dialogue and cooperation to enhance trust and understanding in the sub-region with a view to strengthening sustainable security;

2. Encourage parliaments, government officials, defense and law enforcement personnel, political parties and civil societies to enhance exchanges and cooperation and increase mutual trust and understanding. Support activities such as LMC policy dialogue and officials' exchange programs;

3. Deepen law enforcement and security cooperation through information exchange, capacity building and coordination of joint operations, in accordance with rules, regulations and procedures of each member country; support the establishment of a law enforcement cooperation institution to facilitate such cooperation;

4. Enhance cooperation against non-traditional security threats, including terrorism, transnational crimes, and natural disasters; promote cooperation in addressing climate change impacts, humanitarian assistance, ensuring food, water and energy security;

5. Advance the China-ASEAN strategic partnership, and strengthen cooperation under the framework of ASEAN+3, East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum and other regional cooperation mechanisms; (mo