Beijing: The China-Myanmar border near the
southwestern Yunnan province is set to become a major
commercial hub as Beijing has launched construction of an
economic zone in the region, which will act as a gateway for
South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The Gengma Border Economic Cooperation Zone is in the
city of Lincang's Mengding county, which is expected to become
a traffic tip for an opening frontier and largely enhance the
progress of resources development, trade, logistics and
industries, Yang Hongbo, the ruling Chinese Communist Party's
regional secretary, said.
Mengding is likely to become a hub for trade and tourism
in the future, Yang said.
Roads and an airport are to be built in the remote
county, he was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news
agency.
China's Cabinet is to adopt a bundle of measures to build
Yunnan province into a foothold for southwest China's opening
up drive and develop it into a gateway to regions in Southeast
Asia and South Asia.
The government had approved more than 40 policy items
covering nine aspects related to the area's development,
including building up the economy and living standards,
enhancing environmental protection and strengthening
infrastructure construction, especially in transportation.
Yunnan province lies adjacent to Sichuan, Guizhou,
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Tibet Autonomous Region and borders Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.
It is famous for its abundant natural resources such as
plants and non-ferrous metals.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, December 21, 2011, 14:04