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April 2-5, 2010: Chinese Vice Minister Song Tao attends the first Mekong River Commission (MRC) meeting in Hua Hin, Thailand and says China is willing to increase cooperation with neighboring countries to help resolve the ongoing drought crisis. The Chinese Ministry of Water Resources also provides the MRC Secretariat with hydrological data in southwest China’s Yunnan province to facilitate drought-relief measures in the lower Mekong area. April 8, 2010: Wu Bangguo, chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, meets Wong Foon Meng, head of the Malaysian Senate, to discuss bilateral ties and parliamentary exchanges. They agree to strengthen political trust, personnel exchanges, and economic cooperation. April 11, 2010: Chinese Foreign Ministry expresses “deep concern over the political situation in Thailand” after the latest clash between the anti-government protesters and the government’s security personnel, which resulted in more than 800 casualties, including 20 deaths. April 13, 2010: He Yong, deputy secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, meets Mai Truc, his Vietnamese counterpart, in Beijing. They discuss ways where the two departments can increase exchanges and cooperation on combating corruption. April 22, 2010: Xu Caihou, vice chairperson of China’s Central Military Commission, meets Teo Chee Hean, Singapore’s deputy prime minister and minister for defense, in Beijing. They agree to forge closer and pragmatic military cooperation between their armed forces. China-Southeast Asia Relations 74 July 2010 April 23, 2010: Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping meets Vietnamese Defense Minister Phung Quang Thanh in Beijing. They stress the importance of deepening their strategic and cooperative partnership, strengthening political mutual trust, and properly addressing sensitive issues. May 1, 2010: Chinese President Hu Jintao meets Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in Shanghai. They discuss the state of bilateral relations and agree to improve and expand political, economic, and security relations between the two countries. May 11, 2010: Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie meets Pol Saroeun, head of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, and agrees to strengthen military-to-military ties between the two countries. Both sides have witnessed increasing exchanges in senior-level military contacts in recent years and will continue to do so to build mutual trust. Chen Bingde, chief of the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), also meets Saroeun and notes that China will continue to develop pragmatic military relations with Cambodia, including personnel training, the building of military schools, training centers, and hospitals. May 12, 2010: Senior officials from China attend a conference in Danang, Vietnam to discuss drug prevention and control measures in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Greater Mekong sub-region. The participants also discuss ways to enhance regional cooperation to curb illicit drugs, trafficking, and drug-related cross-border crimes. May 20, 2010: Guo Boxiong, vice chairperson of the Central Military Commission, visits Singapore and meets Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. They agree to continue and increase exchanges and cooperation between the two armed forces, particularly through high-level visits, joint defense and security-related discussions, joint military exercises, personnel training, and reciprocal visits of warships. May 25, 2010: Zhang Xinfeng, vice minister of the Ministry of Public Security, attends the 30th ASEANPOL Conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. His speech at the opening ceremony of the conference focuses on increasing dialogue and information-sharing practices with counterparts in ASEAN member states to combat such transnational crimes as terrorism, the smuggling of illicit arms, human and drug trafficking, white-collar financial crimes, and cybercrime. May 26, 2010: The Vientiane Times reports that Laos received a $50 million loan from China to help build a bridge across the Mekong River in the Laotian province of Oudomxay. The bridge is part of the Greater Mekong sub-region north-south economic corridor project, linking the Thai province of Chiang Rai to Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan province. June 3, 2010: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visits Myanmar and meets Than Shwe, chairperson of the State Peace and Development Council, to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations. They agree to further advance bilateral political, economic, and military ties. June 4, 2010: The Chinese National Petroleum Company (CNPC) issues an official statement on its website that the Southeast Asia Pipeline Company, one of CNPC’s affiliated subsidiaries, will begin the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the oil and gas pipelines China-Southeast Asia Relations 75 July 2010 China-Southeast Asia Relations 76 July 2010 through Myanmar. The pipelines are estimated to be about 1,100 km, running from Myanmar’s western coast to Ruili, Yunnan province in southern China. June 5, 2010: Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of the General Staff of the PLA, visits Singapore and attends the Shangri-La Dialogue Asia Security Summit. Ma’s speech highlights growing tensions between Beijing and Washington. June 8, 2010: Gen. Fan Changlong, commander of the PLA’s Jinan Military Region, visits Myanmar and meets Thura Shwe Mann, chief of General Staff of Myanmar’s Army, Navy, and Air Force. They review the state of bilateral military relations and pledge to increase military-to-military exchanges. June 9, 2010: Hu Jintao sends a congratulatory message to President-elect Benigno Aquino III as the Philippines’ incoming president. June 16, 2010: Xi Jinping visits Laos and meets Laotian President Choummaly Saygnasone. Xi notes that China will continue to maintain close contacts, strengthen mutual trust, and expand business, trade, and economic activities with Laos. June 22, 2010: Zhou Yongkang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, meets Troung Hoa Binh, Chief Justice of the Vietnamese People’s Supreme Court, in Beijing. They agree to facilitate judicial exchanges and cooperation. June 24, 2010: Chinese Vice Transport Minister Gao Hongfeng visits Phnom Penh to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Cambodian government to further deepen cooperation on infrastructure development. Tram Iv Tek, minister for Public Works and Transport of Cambodia, says that China has built more than 1,500 km of roads and bridges in Cambodia, totaling $1 billion in recent years. June 27, 2010: Hu Jintao meets his Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Toronto, Canada. They agree to pursue development of the strategic partnership between China and Indonesia and reaffirm their commitment to enhance coordination and cooperation in regional and international political, economic, and security-related issues of mutual concern. June 29-July 3, 2010: Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo co-chairs the fourth meeting of the Steering Committee for China-Vietnam Bilateral Cooperation in Beijing with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem.