Abstract

• China has practiced water diplomacy in the lower Mekong countries by using Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) framework in order to solve the transboundary water issue. China altered its use of water sovereignty to water diplomacy. This research focuses to explore the reasons of the paradigm shift in Chinese policy on Mekong sub-region and the unique characteristics of China’s water diplomacy. The research finds out that the internal factors as well as external factors leads China’s cooperation with lower Mekong basin countries in the water issues. Moreover, LMC is a framework with greater flexibility and has its own unique characteristics focusing on economic and development rather purely water resources management.