Editing Mekong (section)

==Navigation==
[[File:Mekong ferry-1.JPG|thumb|Mekong ferry, Neak Loeung, Cambodia]]
[[File:Oudomxay Pakbeng3 tango7174.jpg|thumb|Slow cruise boats, [[Pakbeng]], [[Laos]]]]

For thousands of years the Mekong River has been an important conduit for people and goods between the many towns on its banks. Traditional forms of trade in small boats linking communities continue today, however the river is also becoming an important link in international trade routes, connecting the six Mekong countries to each other, and also to the rest of the world.<ref name="MRC_2010a" /> The Mekong is still a wild river and navigation conditions vary greatly along its length. Broadly, navigation of the river is divided between upper and lower Mekong, with the "upper" part of the river defined as the stretch north of the [[Khone Falls]] in southern Laos and the "lower" part as the stretch below these falls.

Narrower and more turbulent sections of water in the upstream parts of the Mekong River, coupled with large annual water level variations continue to present a challenge to navigation. The seasonal variations in water level directly affect trade in this section of the river. Volumes of trade being shipped decrease by more than 50%, primarily due to the reduced draughts available during the low water season (June–January).<ref name="MRC_2010a" /> Despite these difficulties, the Mekong River is already an important link in the transit chain between [[Kunming]] and [[Bangkok]] with about 300,000 tonnes of goods shipped via this route each year.<ref name="MRC_2010a" /> The volume of this trade is expected to increase by 8–11% per year. Port infrastructure is being expanded to accommodate the expected growth in traffic, with new facilities planned for [[Chiang Saen District|Chiang Saen]] port.<ref name="MRC_2010a" />

In Laos, 50 and 100 [[Deadweight tonnage|DWT]] vessels are operated for regional trade. Cargos carried are timber, agricultural products, and construction materials.<ref name="MRC_2010a" /> Thailand imports a wide variety of products from China, including vegetables, fruit, agricultural products, and fertilisers. The main exports from Thailand are dried [[longan]], fish oil, rubber products, and consumables. Nearly all the ships carrying cargo to and from Chiang Saen Port are 300 DWT Chinese flag vessels.<ref name="MRC_2010a" />

Waterborne trade in the lower Mekong countries of Vietnam and Cambodia has grown significantly, with trends in container traffic at [[Phnom Penh]] port and general cargo through [[Can Tho]] port both showing steady increases until 2009 when a decrease in cargo volumes can be attributed to the global financial crisis and a subsequent decline in demand for the export of garments to the US.<ref name="MRC_2010a" /> In 2009, Mekong trade received a significant boost with the opening of a new deep-water port at [[Cai Mep]] in Vietnam. This new port has generated a renewed focus on the Mekong River as a trade route. The Cai Mep container terminals can accommodate vessels with a draught of {{cvt|15.2|m|ft}}, equivalent to the largest container ships in the world. These mother vessels sail directly to Europe or the United States, which means that goods can be shipped internationally to and from Phnom Penh with only a single transshipment at Cai Mep.<ref name="MRC_2010a" />

As an international river, a number of agreements exist between the countries that share the Mekong to enable trade and passage between them. The most important of these, which address the full length of the river, are:<ref name="MRC_2010a" />
*Agreement between China and Lao PDR on Freight and Passenger Transport along the Lancang–Mekong River, adopted in November 1994.
*Agreement on the Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin, Article 9, Freedom of Navigation, 5 April 1995, Chiang Rai.
*Hanoi Agreement between Cambodia and Viet Nam on Waterway Transportation, 13 December 1998.
*Agreement between and among the Governments of the Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam for Facilitation of Cross border Transport of Goods and People, (amended at Yangon, Myanmar), signed in Vientiane, 26 November 1999.
*Agreement on Commercial Navigation on Lancang–Mekong River among the governments of China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, adopted at Tachileik, 20 April 2000.
*Phnom Penh Agreement between Cambodia and Vietnam on the Transit of Goods, 7 September 2000.
*New Agreement on Waterway Transportation between Vietnam and Cambodia, signed in Phnom Penh, 17 December 2009.

In December 2016, the Thai cabinet of Prime Minister [[Prayut Chan-o-cha]] agreed "in principle" to a plan to dredge stretches of the Mekong and demolish rocky outcrops that are hindrances to easy navigation. The international Lancang-Mekong River navigation improvement plan for 2015–2025, conceived by China, Myanmar, Lao, and Thailand, aims to make the river more navigable for 500-tonne cargo vessels sailing the river from [[Yunnan]] to [[Luang Prabang]], a distance of {{cvt|890|km|mi}}.<ref name="BP-20170109">{{cite news |last1=Suksamran |first1=Nauvarat |title=Locals slam Mekong blasting plan |url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1176681/locals-slam-mekong-blasting-plan |access-date=9 January 2017 |work=Bangkok Post |date=9 January 2017}}</ref> China has been the driving force behind the demolition plan as it aims to expand trade in the area.<ref>{{cite news |title=Spare the Mekong |url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1171213/spare-the-mekong |access-date=30 December 2016 |work=Bangkok Post |date=30 December 2016 |department=Opinion}}</ref> The plan is split into two phases. The first phase, from 2015 to 2020, involves a survey, a design, and an assessment of the environmental and social impacts of the project. These have to be approved by the four countries involved: China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand. The second phase (2020–2025) involves navigational improvements from [[Simao District|Simao]] in China to 243 border posts in China and Myanmar, a distance of {{cvt|259|km|mi}}.<ref name="BP-20170109"/> Local groups have countered that native inhabitants already operate their boats year-round and that the plan to blast the rapids is not about making life better for local people, but about enabling year-round traffic of large Chinese commercial boats.<ref name="BPO-20190717">{{cite news |last1=Roykaew |first1=Niwat |title=China must be sincere on Mekong |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1713756#cxrecs_s |access-date=20 July 2019 |work=Bangkok Post |date=17 July 2019 |department=Opinion}}</ref>

On 4 February 2020, the Thai Cabinet voted to stop the project to blast and dredge {{cvt|97|km|mi}} of the river bed after Beijing failed to stump up the money for further surveys of the affected area.<ref>{{cite news |title=Thais ditch China-led plan to dredge Mekong |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/thais-ditch-china-led-plan-to-dredge-mekong |access-date=6 February 2020 |work=The Straits Times |date=6 February 2020}}</ref>