China on Monday dismissed an accusation that it caused drought in the Mekong River, saying its shared only 13 percent of water flow in the southeast Asian longest river.
Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue told Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva during a meeting at the Government House that Chinese dams in the upper Mekong in Yunnan province made no significant impact on the water flow in the lower part of the river.
Hu was quoted as saying that Beijing and local administration paid a lot of attention to the drought in the region. "China would not do anything to damage mutual interest with neighbouring countries in the Mekong," said Hu.
Abhisit told Hu that people in lower part of the river was worried about the drought as they have no clear information about the dams in China.
It would be useful if there was a forum for experts to share information, he said.
"China plays a significant role in the region development and I believe China does not want to see people in the lower Mekong basin are in difficulties," Abhisit said.
