YANGON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- A coordination center for safe navigation on the Mekong River has been launched in Myanmar's Shan state, according to a press release from the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar on Wednesday.

Under the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund, the center was inaugurated in the city of Taunggyi to clamp down on drug smuggling along the Mekong River, to share information about drug trafficking and to host meetings, the release said.

Zheng Zhihong, minister counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar, attended the inauguration ceremony in Taunggyi on Tuesday, it said.

At the ceremony, Myanmar officials expressed thanks to China for the assistance in launching the center, it added.

The Mekong River, known as the Lancang River in China, is a vital waterway for cross-border shipping. In a bid to crack down on crimes and ensure the safety for navigation on the river, a total of 123 joint Mekong River patrols by China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand have been carried out so far.

The six Lancang-Mekong countries comprise China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.