Global Times —
In Southwest China’s Yunnan Province, the reservoir of Jinghong Hydropower Station sparkled with green waves merging with the blue sky of late April when diplomats from the Mekong countries paid a visit. This gave them a complete new perception of the role of the Chinese-built dams on the Lancang River, upstream of the Mekong River that links six riparian countries.
The Jinghong and Nuozhadu hydropower stations, built on the Lancang River, were once the target of suspicion and attacks by Western media and some political forces portraying them as a gateway for China’s “water hegemony” on the Mekong River through the control of the waterway with the dams.
However, “Seeing Is Believing” became the most common words during the four-day visit of the envoys from the six riparian countries to the hydropower stations. Visitors recognized China’s efforts to ensure downstream water demand during the dry and wet seasons and to control floods as “a responsible upstream neighbor,” while learning about the operation and technology of hydropower projects and their potential contributions in regulating flood and managing drought.