China has taken an active role in the economic development of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) in the past decade, in a bid to push forward the full-spectrum of cooperation among member countries, Shen Guofang, Assistant to the Chinese Foreign Minister, said at a recent press conference.
Leaders from China, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand and Vietnam will meet in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province for the second summit of the Greater Mekong Subregion on Economic Cooperation Program (GMS Program), to be held from July 4 to 5.
Since the GMS was established in 1992, China has signed the "Agreement for Facilitation of Cross-Border Transport of Goods and People," sponsored the sea route development project on the Upper Mekong River, and accelerated construction of the Kunming-Bangkok highway.
China also signed the agreement on the regional trade of power among GMS countries, upgraded online telecommunications capabilities and helped to bridge the digital gap among the countries.
Cooperation among the countries has also extended to such fields as agriculture, human resources, health, and telecommunication.
(Xinhua News Agency July 1, 2005)