Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith (left) and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang will co-chair virtual Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Summit. — PhotoChina Daily

VIENTIANE — The third Mekong-Lancang Co-operation Summit will be held in a virtual format on August 24 under the chair of Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang.

The biennial summit will also see the participation of leaders of Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Việt Nam.

Under the theme "Enhancing Partnership for Shared Prosperity", the leaders will review the progress of co-operation since the previous summit.

They will also chart the future directions for strengthening cooperation in containing the COVID-19 pandemic, recovering economic growth in the post-COVID-19 period, and managing and using the Mekong water resources in a sustainable manner.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc will deliver an important speech at the event.

The Mekong river, known as Lancang in China, is the 12th longest river in the world. The river’s basin is home to around 1,700 fish species, making it the most diverse basin after the Amazon and Congo.

The first Mekong-Lancang Co-operation Summit was held in China in March 2016, while the second took place in Cambodia in early 2018.

China is currently the largest trade partner of Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Việt Nam, and the second biggest trader of Laos. — VNS