People—to—People Exchanges Key to LMC Culture Cultivation

Liu Chang

Lancang-Mekong Cooperation （LMC） has changed the style of sub-regional cooperation， and China has played an active role in this process. As Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi put it： “We have cultivated the LMC culture featuring equal treatment， sincere mutual assistance and family-like atmosphere.” People-to-people exchanges have played an irreplaceable role in the cultivation of the LMC culture.

Booming People-to-People Exchanges

All parties involved in the LMC have achieved a high degree of consensus on the nature of their cooperation， while people-to-people exchanges have flourished.

First， people-to-people exchanges and cooperation have been carried out in all relevant areas. Representative activities have been organized； in the field of culture and the arts， for example， there has been the First Lancang-Mekong International Film Week， the Lancang-Mekong Culture and Art Festival， the Lancang-Mekong Culture and Tourism Friendship Caravan； in the area of youth exchanges， the Second Youth Innovation Competition on Lancang-Mekong Regions Governance and Development and the Lancang-Mekong Youth Training Camp for Innovation and Entrepreneurship； in the field of tourism， the 2016 Sanya Forum of Lancang-Mekong Tourist Cities Cooperation and the Lancang-Mekong Tourist Cities Cooperation Alliance； in the field of education， the Lancang-Mekong International Vocational Institute； and in public health， cross-border control of infectious diseases.

Second， the foundation for people-to-people exchanges and cooperation is deep， with most of these cooperative projects based on a large number of existing programs. A dozen Lancang-Mekong youth exchange events have been successfully organized in recent years， owing to long-term bilateral and multilateral youth exchange activities previously organized between China and Mekong countries.

Third， the level of people-to-people exchanges has constantly been improved. An analysis of people-to-people exchanges in different areas shows that these exchanges have gradually become the mainstream form of strengthening institution-building. Many activities are taking place at regular intervals. Cooperative institutions and fixed liaison offices have been established， which are conducive to the long-term development of cooperation.

LMC Culture Boosts Cooperation

“Equal treatment， sincere mutual assistance and a family-like atmosphere” not only summarizes the LMC culture but also articulates an expectation for future development. In this sense， the LMC culture is both an indispensable component of the LMC and an internal force driving its development.

When the LMC was initiated in 2016， it was natural that doubts about the effectiveness of the mechanism existed. But the last two years demonstrates that greater cooperation and the openness of LMC culture have benefitted both China and its regional partners. As demonstrated by the implementation of 45 early-harvest projects and 13 initiatives proposed by China through the LMC special fund， “equal treatment and mutual assistance” has long been the philosophy for the LMCs problem-solving. That greatly reduces both communication costs and the chances for misunderstanding between the countries engaging in active cooperation. All parties can accelerate the progress of common development and go straight to the key subject， which has contributed to the pragmatic style of the LMC.

‘Family-like Atmosphere Being the Goal

The LMC culture can be described as “equal treatment， mutual assistance and a family-like atmosphere”. A “family-like atmosphere” is the long-term objective and final goal of cultivating the LMC culture. Currently， the LMC is far from realizing a “family-like atmosphere”. But with the joint efforts of all parties， and through further people-to-people exchanges， a “family-like atmosphere” is possible.

People-to-people exchanges are the best ways to realize a “family-like atmosphere”. Of special significance are youth exchange programs. Through face-to-face communication and mutual learning， young people from the six LMC countries can develop strong interpersonal ties， which will in turn help young people learn to respect others， pursue their own goals and advance the common interests of all.

People-to-people exchanges provide us with an inexhaustible source of power for the cultivation of a “family-like atmosphere” between China and the countries of the Mekong Basin. An important prerequisite for this “family-like atmosphere” is the ability of people to visit and learn about each others countries. In 2017， more than 4 million Chinese tourists visited Vietnam， 1 million visited Cambodia and 9.5 million visited Thailand， while a record number of tourists from the five Mekong countries also visited China. This new phenomenon of tourism cooperation is both the result of growing people-to-people exchanges and a solid foundation for further exchanges and a “family-like atmosphere”.

People-to-people exchanges are key to the cultivation of LMC culture. On the basis of these people-to-people exchanges， the LMC mechanism is expected to benefit the people of the six LMC countries.