KUNMING -- After launching a scholarship for students from the Lancang-Mekong river countries in 2018, Yunnan Minzu University has admitted 109 foreign students from Southeast Asia.

The Lancang-Mekong International Vocational Institute of Yunnan Minzu University, located in Southwest China's Yunnan province, has been educating students from Lancang-Mekong countries since 2017.

The vocational college now has 546 students.

The Mekong River, also known as the Lancang River in China, is a vital waterway for cross-border shipping among China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The six Lancang-Mekong countries launched a Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism in March 2016.

The university is organizing a set of Lancang-Mekong themed activities such as dancing and singing shows, students' art exhibitions and a Lancang-Mekong cooperation achievements exhibition.

These countries have been intensifying cooperation in trade, infrastructure construction, education and youth exchanges.