Abstract
Xishuangbanna presents one of eight China's Autonomous Prefectures in Yunnan Province and an important trans-Asian hub at the Myanmar-Laos borders. Apart from rich ethnic diversity and a well-preserved tropical ecosystem, it is also the only place from where China shares the actual hydrological water data with downstream countries on the Mekong River since November 2020. As a part of China’s water diplomacy, Xishuangbanna presents both a geostrategic instrument and a fountain of inspiration for non-traditional regional cooperation. In the presented study, we used the constructivist discourse analysis to re-interpret the “Lancang-Mekong Spirit”, a narrative emphasising the community of shared destiny, common interests and solidarity among Mekong countries. Data has been collected from the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and Conflict Database, which records over 3000 water-related events in the Mekong River Basin between 1990 to 2023. While emphasizing the historical, geographic and political proximity with other Mekong countries positively facilitate China’s foreign policy image in Southeast Asia, the success of the China’s water diplomacy may be limited without accountable inclusion of Yunnan Province specifics. The findings can be replicable in other case studies on China’s non-traditional foreign policy strategies.
Publisher
Matej Bel University in Banska Bystrica
Reference88 articles.
1. BACKER, E.B. The Mekong River Commission: Does It Work, and How Does the Mekong Basin's Geography Influence Its Effectiveness?. Journal of Current South Asian Affairs 26(4): 32-56, 2007, ISSN 0722-8821.
2. BERGMAN, M.L. 1998. Opening the Lancang (Mekong) River in Yunnan: problems and prospects for Xishuangbanna. Master thesis. 160 pp. University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA.
3. BIBA, S. 2021. China's Hydro-Hegemony in the Mekong Region: Room for Improvement. In Rousseau, J., Habich-Sobiegalla, S. (eds.), The Political Economy of Hydropower in Southwest China and Beyond. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 215-234. ISBN 978-3-030-59361-2.
4. BIBA, S. China's 'old' and 'new' Mekong River politics: the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation from a comparative benefit-sharing perspective. Water International 43(5): 622-641, 2018, ISSN 0250-8060. DOI 10.1080/02508060.2018.1474610
5. BUSBURAT, P. Grabbing the Forgotten: China's Leadership Consolidation in Mainland Southeast Asia through the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation. ISEAS Perspective, 2018(7): 1-9, ISSN 2335-6677.