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South China morning post
China faces an uphill struggle to win over Mekong neighbors
China has tried to defuse the dispute over the construction of dams and the management of water resources along the Mekong with a series of conciliatory gestures, but observers say it faces an uphill struggle to win over its neighbors. partnership with other countries sharing the waterway, an intervention that highlights the challenges China faces in conquering the five southeastern nations after severe droughts, according to a diplomatic observer. On Monday, Luo Zhaohui, vice minister of foreign affairs responsible for affairs Asians, accused outside powers of interfering in China’s dispute with the countries and instead called on Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia to side with Beijing to “build and safeguard our home. common”. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the great stories originating from China. “Some countries outside the region have repeatedly used the Mekong’s water resources for political purposes, spreading rumors and exaggerating threats from China, in an attempt to sow discord and undermine cooperation between countries in the region,” he said, without naming The United States and its allies. China promises Mekong neighbors access to Chinese Covid-19 vaccine Approximately 60 million people depend on the waterway, but last year saw devastating droughts that had a devastating impact on downstream farmers and fishermen. data on the Mekong upstream, known as Lancang in China, and said the Mekong should be “a stage for common development, not a battleground for geopolitics.” Countries downstream have been asking China to provide data for years, and now it has started sharing information from two hydrological stations on the Lancang. Beijing’s lack of transparency and the series of dams built along the river in Yunnan province since the 1990s have long been a source of tension in the other countries that share the river, especially Thailand and Vietnam. Tensions resurfaced earlier this year after a Washington-funded study by research and consulting firm Eyes on Earth accused China of causing a severe drought. s along the lower Mekong retaining large amounts of water. Although the intergovernmental Mekong River Commission rejected the allegations amid concerns over the alienation of China, the Southeast Asian countries’ most important trading partner, the dispute quickly turned into a war of words between Beijing and Washington and their regional allies. In an apparent attempt to curb Beijing’s growing influence in the region, Washington launched a new Mekong-United States partnership in September, promising investments of more than $ 150 million and increased support to ensure water and environmental security. Are Chinese dams on the Mekong the next battlefield between the United States and China? Zhang Mingliang, a specialist on Southeast Asian affairs at Jinan University in Guangzhou, said Luo’s remarks underscored Beijing’s growing caution about politicizing disputes. “It is not surprising that China and the United States have intensified their competition in the region and turned a transboundary water management problem into a geopolitical battle. China is clearly aware of its vulnerabilities over the construction of these large dams, which has constantly put China at odds with its downstream neighbors, environmentalists and the international media and has fueled anti-China sentiments, “he said. Zhang said the renewed tensions over the Mekong also underscored the challenges China faces in managing its already tense relations with Vietnam, which is one of the countries hardest hit by droughts and is also embroiled in a protracted territorial dispute with Beijing over the South China Sea. “While Beijing can boast of its ties with other Mekong countries, Vietnam is an exception, and its strategic mistrust and hostility poses the biggest headaches for China among Southeast Asian countries,” Zhang said. of data on water were commendable, Zhang warned, “It is quite unrealistic to expect countries to approach China considering the obvious deficit of confidence and misperceptions.” Xu Liping, a specialist in Southeast Asia at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, also said it would be difficult for Beijing to prevent other countries from seeking external support. For example, Vietnam may want to profit from the tensions over the Mekong to gain an advantage in the South China Sea dispute with the help of the US, Japan and other outside powers. “The decision to share data on water is a step in the right direction, which will hopefully help ease concerns among downstream countries. But it is going to be a long and difficult journey to win the support of our neighbors in the rivalry between the United States and China, “he said. More from the South China Morning Post: * ‘Let’s build a digital Silk Road’: Xi Jinping seeks to cement to China ties with Asean * China starts diplomatic push to conquer Southeast Asian countries * China’s dams did not cause our drought, Mekong nations say, but ask for transparency Latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020.
