International Studies Center (ISC), in the capacity of the Global Center for Mekong Studies (GCMS) Thailand Center, attended the 8^th GCMS Think Tank Forum, jointly organised by China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) and Southwest University of Political Science and Law (SWUPL) on 29-30 December 2025 in Chongqing, China.

            The event was opened by Mr. Wang Dexin, Counsellor, Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, People’s Republic of China, Dr. Zhang Xiaojun, Vice President, SWUPL and Secretary-General, China-ASEAN Legal Research Center, Mr. Tu Anh Tuan, Acting Director, Center for Development and Economic Diplomacy Research, Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies, Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam (DAV) and Dr. Liu Qing, Vice President, CIIS and Director of GCMS China Center. The Forum discussed three main themes, namely “Ten-Year Achievements and Experience of Lancang-Mekong Cooperation”, “New Opportunities and New Drivers for Lancang-Mekong Cooperation in the 2.0 Era” and “Promotion Pathways for Lancang-Mekong Cooperation 2.0”.

            During the Forum, Dr. Krongkwan Traitongyoo, ISC Senior Analyst, made a presentation on “From Quantity to Quality and Shared Security: A Decade of Mekong-Lancang Cooperation”. She underlined emerging challenges for water governance in the region and introduced a people-centred paradigm to cope with climate issues. Mr. Seksan Anantasirikiat, ISC Senior Researcher, shared his views on “Mekong-Lancang Cooperation 2.0 and Regionalism: A Public Diplomacy Perspective”. He emphasised that MLC should not only focus on functional cooperation but also strategic communication and engagement with stakeholders. He also suggested some ideas for public diplomacy programmes to raise awareness on MLC among people in the region.