The GMS comprises six countries that share the 4,500-kilometer Mekong River that originates from China and runs through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The GMS has a combined land area of nearly 2.3 million square kilometers and is home to more than 250 million people. 　　　　

Aimed at developing international passenger and cargo transportation, trade and tourism on the Lancang-Mekong portion of the river, Myanmar, China, Laos and Thailand signed a commercial navigation agreement in April 2000. 　　　　

The agreement provides that vessels of any signatory country can sail freely between Simao in China and Luangprabang in Laos. Myanmar opened two ports to facilitate the workings of the agreement. The Lancang-Mekong international waterway was officially opened to commercial navigation in June 2001.