Thread by @Volatic_Vishrut

Will the Mekong River Region become the newest theater of US-China Rivalry ?

The Mekong River Basin of Southeast Asia could
become the new regional theater of the geopolitical
confrontation between China 🇨🇳 and the US🇺🇸 .

#Thread
#MekongRiver
#China
#SouthChinaSea
#USA

Projecting the riverine states, Myanmar🇲🇲, Thailand🇹🇭,
Laos🇱🇦, Vietnam🇻🇳 and Cambodia🇰🇭 directly in the
middle of the conflict between the two superpowers.

The duel bet. Washington and Beijing could take place through their rival institutions: the Western-backed Mekong River Commission(MRC) & the
Chinese-formed Mekong-Lancang Cooperation(LMC) framework which was initiated in 2015 in response to the former which was est. in the 1950

Both initiatives aim to work directly with the riverine countries in order to manage the river's water resources and bring prosperity to the region through development
projects.

If the MRC was initiated and funded by western governments, the LMC excludes important traditional donors (the US🇺🇸and Japan🇯🇵) and is represented by direct communication between China and its Southeast
Asian counterparts.

Beijing has already announced projects to develop the region and conserve and protect the environment and ocal wildlife through the LMC.
But China is accused by the US of using the Mekong Basin for political purposes.

People's Republic is leveraging the regional need for funding, as well as
the string of Chinese-built dams in the upper Mekong (the river springs from the Tibetan Plateau & flows
into the South China Sea by crossing the Indochina
Peninsula),

to project its economic interests and increase the BRI's footprint in Southeast Asia. Beijing is criticized for "juggling" with the flow of water
from the Mekong through dams controlled by China on its national territory.

The Chinese side responded to the allegations by saying that 🇨🇳 is a responsible shareholder of Mekong's water resources.But more analysts see the
series of dams in 🇨🇳 as a geostrategic weapon.They can use it for capturing political &economic influence in Indochina at US expense.

In response to the formation of the LMC, Washington launched in 2020 the Mekong-US Partnership to expand the work of the 2009-established Lower Mekong Initiative, a forum dedicated to counteracting Beijing's influence in the region.

But Washington's calculations could be overturned by the new geopolitical dynamics in Southeast Asia. The MRC is the successor to an initiative that was created in 1957 during the early years of the Cold War.

Originally called the Mekong Committee, the discussion forum aimed to unite all pro-Western governments at the time (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and South Vietnam) against China and North Vietnam (Myanmar was also excluded from the Committee).

60 years later, Southeast Asia looks different. Laos and Cambodia are slipping towards China, Myanmar could fall within China's sphere of influence since the staged military coup, while the military dictatorship in Thailand could start raising serious questions on US.

On the other hand, Vietnam (united this time), might be willing to cooperate with the US under the QUAD in order to counter Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.

Personally i am more Interested in upcoming ASEAN decisions.

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