GMS members should 'strengthen unity' and boost regional cooperation

BEIJING - China calls on the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) members for further cooperation to boost regional economic integration and promote sustainable development, State Councilor Dai Bingguo said on Tuesday.

The GMS members have seen steady economic growth this year, and regional cooperation is advancing and deepening in various sectors, Dai said at the 4th Summit of the six-country Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation group, which concluded on Tuesday.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong, Myanmar President U Thein Sein, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung attended the summit in Naypyitaw.

The summit achieved a joint declaration - the Naypyitaw Declaration - and prominent figures at the summit endorsed the GMS 10-Year Strategic Framework (2012-2022).

"We should take the chance and elaborate on a faithful teamwork to achieve the lasting development of regional economic cooperation," said Dai, adding that the new framework has initiated "a new chapter" for GMS members' regional cooperation in the decade to come.

The first 10-year GMS Strategic Framework (2002-2012) was endorsed during first GMS Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 2002.

Regional members should "strengthen unity" and diversify cooperation to achieve further development and prosperity in the region, Dai added.

Meanwhile, Dai warned that uncertainties and unstable factors may haunt the global economy for a considerable period of time.

"Some developed countries are experiencing stalled economic recovery while the emerging economies are facing mounting pressures from domestic inflation," said Dai, adding that the countries in the region are still confronting challenges in eliminating poverty, enhancing infrastructure and public hygiene.

During the summit, Dai proposed a five-point suggestion, urging GMS members to engage in cooperation on the development of economic corridors, transport and trade facilitation.

Dai put forward a long-term development plan to improve international shipping on the Lancang-Mekong River, and he promoted the development of power projects and grid connectivity in the subregion.

As for GMS cooperation, countries concerned should enhance capacities for mobilizing resources, and the local governments and the private sectors of GMS countries are expected to enhance participation in GMS cooperation, Dai said.

GMS leaders from other countries at the summit lauded China's vital role in promoting cooperation among GMS members.

Xinhua contributed to this story.