Li Keqiang to visit Cambodia for Lancang-Mekong summit

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will pay an official visit to Cambodia to attend the second edition of Lancang-Mekong River Cooperation (LMC) summit from January 10-11, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

According to Xinhua, Li will chair the meeting in the summit with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen.

During the meeting, leaders from China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam would review the progress of sub-regional cooperation and discuss the future of cooperation among the participating country.

The Chinese Premier will also meet with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, and hold talks with Hun Sen for promoting bilateral cooperation between China and Cambodia.

Relations between the two countries have been warm, at recent times. Although, they do not share any land border between, both share similar historical and cultural ties. China sends massive investments and aids, which is beneficial for Cambodia's developing economy.

The LMC was initiated by China in 2015 and the first summit took place in Sanya, China in 2016. It has six countries - Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The names of the summit have been derived from the Lancang River in China. It is known as Mekong River in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, which falls in the Indochina region.

Li's visit to Cambodia comes at a time, when China is aggressively pushing for the Belt and Road Initiative's (BRI) foray into the Indochina region, which China says would benefit the economies in the region massively.