Asia
The Sixth Meeting of the Japan-China Policy Dialogue on the Mekong Region
September 13, 2019
- The Sixth meeting of the Japan-China Policy Dialogue on the Mekong Region was held in Tokyo, Japan, on September 10. Attendees included Mr. Kenichi Kobayashi, Deputy Director-General of the Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other officials from the Japanese side; and Ms. Mao Ning, Deputy Director-General, Asian Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other officials from the Chinese side.
- At the Meeting, both countries introduced their efforts with respect to cooperation toward the Mekong region which had taken place after the last meeting in December 2014. Japanese side explained the progress of the Mekong-Japan Cooperation under the Tokyo Strategy 2018, which was adopted at the 10th Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting in October 2018. Chinese side explained the outline of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC), which was inagulated in 2016, and the progress of cooperation with the Mekong countries under the LMC.
- Also, both sides shared the view on the importance of coordination with the Mekong countries’ own initiatives, other supporting countires, and international institutions for the development of the Mekong region.
- Both sides decided to convene the Seventh Meeting in China next year, and to coordinate on the date and venue of the meeting through diplomatic channels.