Leaders from the five Mekong countries – Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam – gathered in Bangkok last weekend and adopted a five-year plan for regional integration.
At the 8th summit of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), a mechanism founded in 2003 with a focus on regional infrastructure, ACMECS adopted a master plan for the first time, with a vision of “Building ACMECS by 2023.”
With over one third of the population of ASEAN and an average economic growth rate of 6-8 percent per year, ACEMCS countries are attracting a slew of international investors and regional cooperation initiatives, such as the Great Mekong Sub-region Cooperation (GMS) and Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC), which yield benefits to their infrastructure and economic growth by linking to the global value chain. That is the reason that ACEMCS countries firmly stand for free trade practices and against protectionism.
These five mainland ASEAN countries share similar traditions, religious beliefs and culture, as well as economic and social development. These similarities are more obvious in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, also known as CLMV countries.
General Prayut Chan-ocha, the prime minister of Thailand, thinks that cultural similarities could foster economic development within the five member countries and help bridge the development gap among them.
In particular, similar cultural genes might result in confidence and trust, which is the fundamental condition in for regional cooperation and integration. On the other hand, similarities may lead to competition, and even cause and increasingly widening gap between two ends of the development spectrum, a phenomenon known as the Matthew Effect.
For example, tourism, a pillar industry in all ACMECS countries, witnesses a huge contrast between Thailand and Myanmar.
With a common land border of around 2,107 kilometers, the features that attract tourism in Myanmar and Thailand are largely overlapping. Both feature tropical islands, beaches, mountains and cultural heritage. Compared with Thailand, which has embraced world tourists since 1924, Myanmar is a latecomer.
Statistics of the first quarter of 2018 show that the amount of international tourists to Myanmar decreased by 2 percent year-on-year while Thailand recorded a record high.
The different picture of tourism sectors in Thailand and Myanmar raises a question for all ACMECS countries: How can they tap similar resources for a synchronized economies?
Apart from the infrastructure and human resources, policy coordination is a key factor to address the problem.
Technological proliferation in hospitality management and cross-border tourism integration could enlarge the market to benefit all five countries. It also helps reduce unnecessary and negative competition. No one should be left behind, otherwise, it is difficult to achieve regional integration.
Policy coordination within ACMECS needs both regional consensus in principle and adjustment in domestic policies by each member state.
For instance, regional tourism could form a huge network to offer multicultural choices for international customers. Countries could reduce obstacles facing tourists on visa and customs regulations.
In the connectivity promoted by China’s Belt and Road Initiative, policies rank first, followed by trade, transportation, currency and people-to-people connection.
Several steps have been taken by ACMECS countries to support the growth of the digital economy and smart and sustainable development. The mechanism is growing into a comprehensive and inclusive platform, not only for the member countries, but also external partners.
Southeast Asian countries are used to speaking in one voice on the international stage, and now it is the time for them to adjust their domestic policies for regional integration, because only through strengthening policy coordination can ACMECS countries become one community.
(The author is correspondent of People’s Daily, currently based in Bangkok, Thailand)