Mekong needs tough govt stance

On Feb 8, Charge d’Affaires of Chinese Embassy Yang Xin paid a courtesy call to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, in which they exchanged Chinese New Year’s wishes, looking ahead for warmer relations and closer cooperation.

One topic was missing from their friendly talks: the fluctuating water levels of the Mekong River which has been dry since last month largely because of equipment testing at Jinghong Dam.

It’s a missed opportunity.

At the end of December, China had warned of lower water levels as it planned to reduce water discharges from its upstream Jinghong Dam in Yunnan from 1,900 to 1,000 cubic metres per second, starting on Jan 5.

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