KUNMING — Trade between China and countries along the Mekong River has continued to surge despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the sluggish global economic recovery.

Thanks to extensive cooperation in efforts to combat the novel coronavirus and drive economic growth, trade between China and the five other Mekong countries hit almost $400 billion in 2021, up 23 percent year-on-year.

The figures were disclosed at the ongoing Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Week 2022, which opened on April 7.

In 2016, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) mechanism was launched by six countries — China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. It derives its name from a river that is called Lancang in China and Mekong in the five other countries.

The LMC mechanism has since become a landmark cooperation model in the region and continuously injected vitality into regional development.