Chinese cargo ships return to Mekong

China resumed cargo ship traffic on the Mekong River for the first time since the killing of 13 Chinese sailors last month.

Ten cargo ships, escorted by patrol vessels, entered the Thai section of the river yesterday afternoon.

Several Thai soldiers confessed to the murders, and the Thai government said they acted on their own and that the military hierarchy was not involved. China suspended shipping on the river.

The Mekong is commercially and strategically important to the region but is plagued by rampant smuggling and bandits. Beijing allowed its ships to resume navigation on the waterway only after it secured a landmark security co-operation deal with Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.

The four countries agreed to jointly patrol the Mekong and provide escorts to the cargo ships.

Yesterday's escort mission was jointly carried out by forces from Thailand and China. It is the first time in decades that armed Chinese vessels have entered the Mekong River.