The Lancang-Mekong River, known as the “Danube of the East”, originates from China’s Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, stretching to Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
It has been known as a “Shared River” not just literally but also describing the close ties between the six countries. As time goes, countries along the river have become not only just friendly neighbors with adjoining mountains and rivers, but also natural partners for mutually beneficial cooperation.
In 2020, China’s industry-wide direct investment in ASEAN reached $14.36 billion, increasing 52.1% each year. On the other hand, the investment amount of ASEAN in China in the same year was $7.95 billion, increasing 1.0% each year.
ASEAN has become a key region for Chinese enterprises to invest overseas.
In the meantime, Chinese enterprises have been enthusiastic in conducting a wide range of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects in the region
[livelihood improvement]
In order to engage directly with local communities, Wanbao Mining Ltd. initiated a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program which has provided technical training for local employees. Since then the percentage of local employees has gradually increased.
Moreover, the program has also supported some local SMEs from scratch by comprehensive ways like investing in vegetable greenhouses and introducing a highly advanced domestic chicken-raising technology, which improved the employment rate and the livelihood of the local people.
[environmental protection]
In terms of notable environmental protection projects, Can Tho Project marks the first overseas waste-to-energy project of Everbright International and also the first ever advanced waste-to-energy project in Vietnam. It has a designed daily waste processing capacity of 400 tonnes and generates approximately 60 million kWh of green electricity annually.
With advanced waste incineration technology, Can Tho Project will greatly solve the problem of backward domestic waste disposal equipment and serious environmental pollution.
[women empowerment]
Considering that female employees in some Southeast Asian countries still face many challenges in terms of employment, equal pay for equal work and working environment, in 2019, the Office for Social Responsibility of China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) and the Asia Foundation jointly launched a project to “establish gender-sensitive corporate systems for Chinese-invested enterprises overseas”. The project carried out capacity building for senior managers and employees of Chinese enterprise in Cambodia and Vietnam.
Today, Lancang-Mekong Cooperation is not only conducive to the economic growth and stability of Mekong countries, but also beneficial to the ASEAN Economic Community, which has played an exemplary role in a global community with a shared future for mankind.