Abstract
The United States, as a superpower, has begun to approach the Mekong River Basin, an international waterway.The Obama administration brought with it a shift in U.S. foreign policy, particularly addressing the ''rebalancing of Asia.'' However, this policy has been undertaken to restrain China, which exerts a strong influence on Southeast Asia. Moreover, the U.S. approach to the Mekong River was spurred by a shift to democracy in Myanmar. China has built successive dams on the river, reflecting a one-sided policy of exploitation that is increasingly straining the Mekong River Basin's water resources. Consequently, downstream countries have voiced criticism of Chinese projects and policies. International politics still entails ''power politics.'' Even if an issue involves the use of an international river, it is much more important to analyze trends of superpower policies and actions than to analyze an international cooperation framework.
