NEWS- Southwest China Working to Li

[TheTruth@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Southwest China Working to Link Four Southern Water Outlets

            Xinhua
            23-JUN-98

            KUNMING (June 23) XINHUA - Yunnan, a
            border province in southwest China, is
            accelerating efforts to link its
            transportation system with four river
            outlets in southeast Asia -- the Mekong,
            Red (Song Hong), Irrawaddy and Salween
            rivers. 

            For the next three years the province will
            strive to improve the water lane on the 333
            km-long Lancang River, which runs out of
            the Chinese territory from Yunnan and
            flows through Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos
            and Thailand, where it is called the
            Mekong River. 

            By the time the cross-border water
            passage opens, Chinese cargo exported
            to western Asia, Africa and Europe can go
            downstream to Chiang Mai in Thailand
            and, via the Thai expressway network,
            reach its ports in the Indian Ocean. 

            A joint water-land transport route to link
            the province with the Red River in
            Vietnam is under negotiation between the
            Chinese and Vietnamese governments,
            and an agreement is expected soon for
            two routes to the Irrawaddy and Salween
            rivers in Myanmar allowing construction to
            begin. 

            Yunnan is expediting construction of the
            road transportation section of the routes,
            which starts in Kunming, the provincial
            capital, and ends at Shweli in Myanmar. 

            The four outlets should facilitate foreign
            trade between China's inland provinces
            and other Asian, European and African
            countries. 

            Yunnan Province has so far three railways
            linking the inland area and three highways
            are under construction to improve its road
            transportation.