Shipping on the Mekong River, known in China as the Lancang River, has been suspended after two cargo ships were attacked on October 5 in the "Golden Triangle," where the borders of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos meet, the maritime affairs department of southwest China's Yunnan Province said on October 10.

Thai authorities have confirmed that all 13 Chinese crewmen on the two hijacked ships were killed and identified the killers as a drug trafficking ring operating on the Mekong River.

According to the Yunnan Provincial Government, 116 of the 130 ships engaged in international shipping on the Mekong River are operated by Chinese companies.