China, Burma To Develop River

[ausgeo@xxxxxxx]

China, Burma To Develop River 

Monday, May 5, 1997 
BEIJING - China and Burma have agreed to jointly develop a major Burmese river 
to open a route to the Indian Ocean, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency said 
Monday. 
Xinhua said the plan links Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan province by 
road to Bhamo, on Burma's Irrawaddy River. 
The river flows through Burma into the Andaman Sea, giving access to the 
Indian Ocean. 
Xinhua said China and Burma will sign a land and river joint transport 
agreement in the second half of the year. They also will approve the joint 
development of industrial and agricultural projects in Bhamo, it said. 
The route will boost economic development in China's landlocked southwest, and 
will be 5,800 kilometers (3,600 miles) shorter than between Kunming and the 
port city of Shanghai on China's east coast, Xinhua said. 
``Trade volume between China's inland provinces and other countries in and out 
of the region is expected to soar,'' it quoted an unnamed transport expert as 
saying. 

AP