China’s Transboundary River Governance: The Case of the Lancang-Mekong River

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to analyze how does China pursue its national interest in the governance of the Lancang- Mekong River in domestic and international terms. The analysis was done through the lens of the classical realism theoretical school. Drawing from this framework and adopting the concept of national interest, the study gave a deeper understanding of China‟s motives behind the Lancang- Mekong governance. The thesis elaborated on the China‟s position, functions and main goals in the trans-governmental river‟s organizations. By application of the qualitative content analysis method to the sampled texts, this research seeks to set a theoretical groundwork for understanding China‟s behaviour tendencies in the Lancang- Mekong river management. The main findings of the study are that China prioritizes its core interest in the Mekong river basin and pursues its national interest through the transboundary Lancang- Mekong river cooperation mechanism. China has been rather inconsistent uncooperative hegemon of the region trying to pursue its core interest of hydro-politics but at the same time avoiding major water disputes.