Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday called for greater solidarity and cooperation between China and the five Mekong River countries in pursuit of common development.
Li attended the eighth Greater Mekong Subregion Summit together with the heads of government of the five Mekong River countries, namely, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, and president of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Kunming, the provincial capital of Yunnan in southwest China.
In his speech at the summit, Li said that the world has entered a new period of turbulence and change, and China and the five Mekong River countries should all the more strengthen solidarity and cooperation and work together in pursuit of common development.
Li put forth a four-point proposal for deepening regional cooperation, which includes adhering to opening and cooperation and building more efficient and vibrant mega markets in the region, stepping up innovation to foster new growth drivers for the regional economy, deepening connectivity through infrastructure construction to accelerate regional economic integration, and maintaining close communication and coordination and practicing true multilateralism.
Other leaders at the meeting expressed their willingness to enhance communication and docking of development strategies among countries in the region and expand practical cooperation in various fields.
The summit adopted a leaders' declaration and a development strategy blueprint, among other documents.
Chinese premier calls for greater cooperation with Mekong River countries
Many countries on Friday urged their citizens to leave or avoid travel to Iran and several other Middle East regions due to escalating U.S.-Iran tensions.
The U.S. Navy's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, arrived off Israel's coast on Friday, raising concerns that the U.S. and Iran may be moving closer to direct military confrontation.
Meanwhile, Abolfazl Shekarchi, a spokesman for Iran's armed forces, said the military is closely monitoring U.S. and Israeli movements, and warned that any provocation by U.S. forces or allied groups would draw a "decisive response," according to Iranian news agency on Friday.
On the same day, the U.S. State Department authorized the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and their families from Israel. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee urged staff wishing to leave to do so "today," according to U.S. media reports.
The U.S. embassy said it may further restrict travel by government personnel and their families to certain areas of Israel, as well as the Old City of Jerusalem and the West Bank, citing security concerns and warning that measures could be imposed without advance notice.
Concerns have spread beyond the region. The British government said it has temporarily withdrawn staff from Iran, with its embassy continuing to operate remotely, and advised against all travel to the country.
Canada and India also issued similar advisories, with Canada warning that hostilities could erupt with little or no warning.
The French Foreign Ministry issued a security advisory for French nationals against travel to Israel, Jerusalem and the West Bank, citing possible regional repercussions from the situation involving Iran. It warned of potential flight cancellations or delays and urged citizens in affected areas to remain vigilant and avoid gatherings.
Italy also urged its citizens to leave Iran and advised extreme caution across the Middle East. "Italians in (Iran) for tourism or whose presence is not strictly necessary are urged to depart," the foreign ministry said in a statement, strongly discouraging travel to Iraq and Lebanon as well.
Germany updated its travel guidance to discourage travel to all of Israel, expanding earlier advice that had applied only to certain parts of the country.
The Chinese Embassy in Tel Aviv issued a security alert on Friday, urging Chinese nationals in Israel to strengthen precautionary measures as risks in the Middle East further escalated.
The escalation follows a third round of indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran in Geneva.
Countries issue security advisory for nationals as U.S.-Iran tensions rise
