Special report: Premier Wen visits Laos, attends GMS Summit

(From left to right)Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein, Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Haruhiko Kuroda pose for a group picture at the opening ceremony of the third summit meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) in Vientiane, Laos, on March 31, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    VIENTIANE, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Monday made a package of proposals on boosting cooperation among members of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) at the ongoing Third Summit of the GMS.

    The following are the key points of his proposals:

    -- INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

    Wen said the GMS should step up the building of transport corridors and a highway network linking all members of the subregion.

    China is ready to work closely with Thailand and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to expedite the building of the Houayxay-Chiang Khong International Bridge along the Kunming Bangkok Highway with the aim to link all the sections of the North-South corridor by 2011, said Wen.

    He also called for strengthened cooperation on the Singapore-Kunming Rail Link, pledging some 20 million RMB (2.9 million U.S. dollars) to conduct engineering feasibility study on the missing link of the Eastern Route of the Link.

    Wen also proposed formulating a telecommunications development strategy for the subregion to speed up the building of the Information Super Highway, and urged developing power grids integration and power trade to form a unified power market in the subregion.

    China will continue to take the lead in building a sub-regional power information database, power cooperation portal website and subregional power planning, said Wen.

    -- TRANSPORT AND TRADE FACILITATION

    Wen called for the full implementation of the Agreement on Cross-border Transportation of People and Goods in the GMS and its 20 annexes and protocols and the start of negotiation at an early date on a memorandum of understanding on implementing the agreement at the Mohan-Boten border crossing point between China and Laos as well as the Ruili-Muse border crossing point between China and Myanmar.

    The premier also proposed setting up the GMS Economic Corridors Forum to encourage the participation of cities and enterprises along the corridors.

    -- BOOSTING RURAL DEVELOPMENT

    The GMS should vigorously promote the development of methane and other bio-mass energy to improve the rural eco-system, said Wen, vowing to build methane-generating pits for 1,500 rural households in GMS countries.

    Wen also said the subregion should strengthen joint prevention against and control of cross-border animal epidemics, put in placeand improve the prevention and control and early-warning systems for trans-boundary animal diseases to ensure the sharing and timely exchange of information.

    Efforts should be redoubled to promote development in the ruralareas so that farmers can share the benefits of subregion cooperation and eliminate poverty sooner, said the Chinese leader.