In order to help alleviate the drought suffered by the countries along the Lancang-Mekong River, the Chinese government has decided to discharge water from its dam.

Meanwhile, China is working closely with the countries along the Mekong River to develop the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Mechanism of which water resources cooperation is an important component of the cooperation mechanism.

ANBOUND's scholars point out that the competing use of water resources in transboundary river often lead to disputes and this has happened before between ASEAN and China.

China’s decision to release water to drought-stricken downstream region has again shown that the water resources cooperation has a unique value in the China-ASEAN cooperation and this will carry an important weight in the future China-ASEAN cooperation.