The Regional Power Trade Operating Agreement for the Greater
Mekong Sub-Region (GMS) will be signed at the group's second summit
meeting in July, China Business reported on February
20.
The agreement is expected to clear all obstacles for the
countries involved to build on hydroelectric development
cooperation.
In 1992, with assistance from the Asian Development Bank, China,
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam entered into the GMS
program of economic cooperation.
According to China Southern Power Grid Co. Ltd, since September,
when China started exporting electricity to Vietnam for the first
time, volume has exceeded 50 million kilowatt-hours (kWh).
A power transmission grid between China and Southeast Asian
countries is being formed, which experts describe as the "fourth
economic way" between China and its neighbors - in addition to
waterways, railways and air routes.
Zhao Jinping, deputy director of the Research Department of
Foreign Economic Relations of the State Council Development and
Research Center, said the government has reached an agreement with
Thailand to build two power stations on the Lancang River (the
Chinese name for the Mekong) in Yunnan
Province.
Their total capacity is expected to reach 7.35 million kWh and,
on their completion, China will export more electricity to Thailand
to meet demand there.
Zhao said that the export of electricity has a bright future.
Whilst developing power projects with neighboring countries, energy
and communications infrastructures will also be improved, which
will be advantageous to wider economic and trade cooperation.
(China.org.cn translated by Li Jingrong, February 26,
2005)