In late January, the 2nd Lancang-Mekong Metrology Cooperation Seminar took place online. About 60 representatives from relevant government departments as well as the national metrology institutes of China and five Mekong River countries, which include Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, discussed future collaborations and goals. 

As the core of quality infrastructure (QI), metrology connectivity is of great significance to the economy and sustainable development of the Lancang-Mekong region. Supported by the LMC special fund, China's National Institute of Metrology has led the LMC metrology cooperation and achieved some fruitful outcomes.

Participants from the Mekong countries lauded the results achieved in the Lancang-Mekong metrology cooperation over the past three years. They expressed gratitude for the strong support from the Chinese government and the efforts made by the National Institute of Metrology. 

By the end of the seminar, participants reached a consensus on signing the Joint Statement on Strengthening Cooperation among Lancang-Mekong Countries on Metrology and Measurement Standards (2021). They agreed to further deepen metrology cooperation, promote digital transformation and the economic recovery of countries in the region, and jointly address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Vientiane Declaration of the Third Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Leaders' Meeting issued in August 2020 calls for enhancing hard and soft infrastructure connectivity. QI is one of the software infrastructures.