The 5th session of Yunnan-Myanmar Economic Cooperation Forum jointly sponsored by Yunnan P rovincial Chamber of Commerce and the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) was held in Kunming. It was themed on “co-construction, sharing and winwin” and aimed to build the Yunnan-Myanmar Industrial Park at the border to promote the economic development of both countries.

In recent years, with the deepening of Yunnan-Myanmar cooperation, Myanmar has become Yunnan’s largest trading partner and important market. For example, the Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone in Rakhine State of Myanmar is attracting a large number of Chinese investors mainly because the China-Myanmar oil and gas pipelines start from Kyaukpyu and extend through central Myanmar into Yunnan Province. In addition, a petroleum harbour was jointly built by the two countries on Maday Island near Kyaukpyu, from where 22 million tons of crude oil will be annually transported to China through the oil pipeline. The China-Myanmar cooperation covers many areas: breeding, fisheries, cultivation, trade, hydropower, oil, gas and agriculture. This year, the Indus- trial and Commercial Bank of China and the OCBC Bank (China) Ltd. have set up branches in Myanmar.

In order to strengthen cooperation with China’s economic and trade organizations, UMFCCI has been organising Myanmar enterprises to participate in the China-South Asia Expo and the Kunming Fair in Kunming as well as other trade fairs held in the border area. As of April, a total of 69 Yunnan-invested enterprises have been set up in Myanmar, involving an investment of $1.26 billion. In the same period, Myanmar has invested in 129 projects in Yunnan, amounting to an in- vestment of $93.99 million.