2018年是一个有重要意义的年份。东盟开启第二个50年，中国迎来改革开放40周年，大湄公河次区域经济合作走过25个年头。

　　25年来，次区域六国怀着“共饮一江水、同食一束稻”的朴素情谊，真诚合作、守望相助，携手探索符合自身实际的发展道路，不断迈向和平、稳定和繁荣。次区域六国积极参与经济全球化进程，携手抵御亚洲金融危机和全球金融危机冲击，成为亚洲经济增长的重要引擎。次区域六国携手改善民生福祉，让数亿万民众摆脱贫困，过上更加美好的生活。

　　今天，次区域六国发展呈现旺盛活力，大湄公河次区域经济合作、澜沧江—湄公河合作等机制齐头并进，“一带一路”倡议给次区域合作注入强大动力。这是我们推进次区域合作信心的重要来源。

We meet in a year of special significance. This year marks the start of another 50 years for ASEAN and the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up for China. It is a good time to take stock of what we have achieved under the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) economic cooperation program in the past 25 years. 

In the last quarter-century, our six countries, nurtured by the same river and same paddy fields, have cooperated with and supported each other, sought development paths that suit our national conditions, and advanced toward peace, stability and prosperity. We have actively participated in economic globalization, worked together to mitigate the Asian and global financial crises and emerged as a strong driving force for Asia’s economic growth. With joint efforts, we have improved the well-being of our people, lifted hundreds of millions of them out of poverty and enabled them to lead a better life.

As we meet today, all our six countries are showing a strong momentum of growth. The GMS and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) are advancing side by side, and the Belt and Road Initiative is providing a strong boost to sub-regional cooperation, All of this gives us added confidence in the future of our cooperation. 

　　六国山水相连，利益交融，命运与共，都面临谋发展、促繁荣的任务。我们应把握机遇，立足行动，携手开辟次区域发展合作新局面。

　　——我们要推动更加强劲的经济增长。世界经济正在经历新旧动能的转换，次区域国家应在挖掘增长新动能方面勇敢探索，闯出新路。

　　我们要在把握传统比较优势的基础上，推动产业向价值链上游跃升，增强核心竞争力。要推进跨境经济合作区和新型产业园区建设，深化国际产能合作，做大做强实体经济。要用好后发优势，投身数字经济、共享经济等发展潮流，打造跨境电子商务合作平台，向创新要动力，向变革要效益。

Our six countries share common mountains and rivers. Our interests are connected, so are our destinies. With a joint desire to achieve development and prosperity, we must seize the opportunities that come our way and take concrete action to break new ground in the development and cooperation in our sub-region. 

First, we need to foster stronger growth. As the world economy is shifting from old to new growth drivers, GMS countries can and must make new strides in tapping new sources of growth.

While maintaining our traditional competitive advantages, we must move up the value chain and strengthen our core competitiveness. We need to advance the building of cross-border economic cooperation zones and new industrial parks. We need to deepen industrial capacity cooperation to bolster the real economy. We also need to leverage our late-comer advantage in developing the digital economy and the sharing economy and in building platforms for cross-border e-commerce. We can only make our growth more energized and efficient by riding the wave of innovation and change.