Flanked by a fast-growing China hungry for markets and energy and other resources, the Mekong region is a target of competing local, national, regional, and transnational as well as commercial interests. There are many "Mekong regions" and claims to its water, heritage sites, tourism potential, and other resources affect one or all the countries. This volume contains provocative and sometimes conflicting views about history, geopolitics, and current dilemmas by scholars across the region.