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Chinese Intentions Towards the Mekong River and Mainland South-East Asia

The Asian Development Bank estimated that South-East Asia will require $3.1 trillion between 2016 and 2030 to develop energy, transportation, water and sanitation systems for sustainable development. Most of that investment is required in lower-income countries, such as Cambodia and Laos. That critical need for major infrastructure investment has created an opportunity for China to engage in “infrastructure diplomacy”. Beijing has almost fully exploited all of the hydropower potential in its portion of the Mekong River. It is lending support to downstream countries in South-East Asia to develop their own hydropower facilities. It has been proven that Chinese dams can have a dramatic effect on water levels in the lower Mekong basin. That could give Beijing additional leverage over the region. China is now in a position to build goodwill with the countries of the lower Mekong basin through infrastructure development or use its dams to coerce its near neighbours into accepting Chinese strategic interests. Both options are likely to be detrimental to the US and the broader Western world.

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Data Resource Preview - Chinese Intentions Towards the Mekong River and Mainland South-East Asia

Additional Info

Field Value
Document type Analysis, discussion papers, and blogs
Language of document
  • English
Topics
  • Hydropower dams
  • Water policy and administration
  • Water resources
Geographic area (spatial range)
  • Cambodia
  • China
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • Thailand
  • Viet Nam
Copyright Unclear copyright
Access and use constraints

Original link: http://www.futuredirections.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Chinese-Intentions-Towards-the-Mekong-River-and-Mainland-South-East-Asia-FINAL.pdf

Version / Edition 2020
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Contact

Future Directions International Pty Ltd. Suite 5, 202 Hampden Road, Nedlands WA 6009, Australia. Tel: +61 8 6389 0211 Web: www.futuredirections.org.au

Author (corporate) Mervyn Piesse, Research Manager, Global Food and Water Crises Research Programme
Publication place Australia
Publisher Future Directions International Pty Ltd.
Publication date 2020
Pagination 6
Keywords Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Framework (LMC),Mekong River,Chinese Dams
Date uploaded July 18, 2020, 05:11 (UTC)
Date modified August 26, 2020, 07:10 (UTC)