The United States announced the launch of the Mekong-US Partnership last September. Since taking office, the Biden administration has also said it will continue and strengthen its cooperation with the Friends of the Mekong to build a safe, open and prosperous Mekong region and to address a number of challenges, including China’s unilateral blocking of water in the upper Mekong River, which has exacerbated historic droughts.
In recent years, news of severe droughts in the lower Mekong basin has continued. Media reports and data from environmental organizations have pointed to China as the source of the phenomenon. For example, the Mekong Dam Monitor, which uses satellite data to track water levels at Chinese dams on the upper Mekong, has warned that water levels on the lower Mekong will drop by 1.3 meters due to restrictions on the Jinghong dam in Yunnan province.
Who is to blame for the drought?
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) also described in February this year that water levels in the Mekong had fallen to “alarming levels,” causing the migration of fish that nearly 70 million people depend on for their livelihoods and Food security, and affecting agriculture and transportation.
Ambassador Atul Keshap, the U.S. principal deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, criticized China for not responding adequately to the concerns of downstream countries, in addition to citing the sharing of hydrological data to help protect Mekong-dependent populations, at a seminar at the Stimson Center, a Washington think tank, on Thursday.
“Beijing should respond to calls from downstream countries to provide accurate, timely and necessary data and to consult with its neighbors on the serious impacts of its dam operations on downstream water quality and quantity.”
He added that the U.S. will continue to be concerned about actions that undermine the autonomy, stability and sovereignty of Mekong countries.
U.S. Increases Investment in Mekong Region Cooperation
To build a safe, open and prosperous Mekong region, the U.S. launched the Mekong-U.S. Partnership with Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the ASEAN Secretariat last September, describing it as “an integral part of the Indo-Pacific vision and ASEAN strategic partnership “The decision was made to invest $150 million to support Mekong countries in recovering from losses in the Neoguan Epidemic, fighting transnational crime, and developing energy sources.
Ambassador Kesha also mentioned that at the heart of the Mekong-U.S. partnership is “strengthening the foundations of stability and prosperity, including good governance, transparency, economic connectivity, human capital, and health and security.”
In January, the U.S. and Vietnam co-hosted the first Friends of the Mekong Policy Dialogue under the partnership. Participating countries include Australia, the European Union, Japan and South Korea.
U.S.-China Battle over Basin Resources?
The U.S. has accused China of threatening the Mekong’s natural environment and economic autonomy, while the U.S. has made strong efforts to promote relations with the Mekong countries, prompting strong resentment in China.
The Global Times, an official Chinese media outlet, has published an opinion piece saying that the U.S. is trying to draw in the Mekong countries by throwing economic bait; using Chinese projects to create public opinion and exert diplomatic pressure on these countries. In addition, the article argued that the U.S. “fanning the flames” and “adding fuel to the fire” will be an important external obstacle to the stability of China-ASEAN relations.
Yeh Yao-yuan, associate professor and chair of the Department of International Studies and Contemporary Languages at St. Thomas University, analyzed China’s continued efforts to coerce Southeast Asian countries through its control of water resources, arguing that China’s policies in both the Mekong and South China Seas are similar to each other.
“For China to achieve global hegemony it must threaten and entice neighboring countries that interact closely with the U.S. so that they do not become enemies behind the scenes and therefore use their national power and geopolitical convenience to expand their influence.”
Ye Yaoyuan explained that in the general environment of U.S.-China rivalry, China’s unilateral threat to other small countries through economic resources or military power will instead push them toward the United States.
Recent Comments