Year 2012

Thailand proposed the Initiative on Sustainable Development of the Lancang–Mekong Sub-region, to which China responded positively.

Year 2014

On 13 November, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang proposed the establishment of a Lancang-Mekong Dialogue and Cooperation Mechanism at the China-ASEAN Leaders' Meeting in Nay Pyi Taw, capital of Myanmar. This proposal was strongly supported by the five other countries.

Year 2015

On 6 April, the 1st Senior Officials' Meeting of Lancang-Mekong River Dialogue and Cooperation was held in Beijing, marking the official start of preparatory works for this mechanism. Officials had a preliminary discussion about the objectives, direction and priority areas of the Lancang-Mekong River Dialogue and Cooperation Mechanism, and agreed to delete the word "dialogue" and changed the name to "LMC".

On 23 July, Bangkok hosted the 1st Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Diplomatic Working Group Meeting. All parties discussed the concept paper for the LMC and prepared for the 2nd LMC Senior Officials' Meeting and the 1st LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

On 21 August, the 2nd Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Senior Officials' Meeting was held in ChiangRai, Thailand. It was co-chaired by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin and Deputy Permanent Secretary Noppadon Theppitak of the Foreign Ministry of Thailand. Important consensus was reached as to the concept paper of the LMC, placing the focus on cooperation on political and security issues, economic and sustainable development, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

On 12 November, the 1st Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Jinghong, Yunnan Province, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai of Thailand, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhon of Cambodia, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith of Laos, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs U Wunna Maung Lwin of Myanmar, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh of Vietnam attended the meeting. The meeting issued the Joint Press Communique of the 1st LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting, approved the Concept Paper on the Framework of the LMC, studied and agreed that parties should carry out the first batch of early-harvest projects to lay the foundation for the 1st LMC Leaders' Meeting.