China building highways to link Myanmar

Two high-grade highways linking China and Myanmar will be open to traffic in the next two years, the state media reported.

The highway linking Tengchong in China's Yunnan province with Myitkyina, Myanmar, will be finished by the end of this year, at a cost of USD 21.79 million, a commerce department official of the southwest province said.

Another highway, linking Zhangfeng to Bhamo, Myanmar, will be open to traffic by 2006, the official said. It will cost USD 3.39 million.

The construction of both the highways started in the second half of 2004, Xinhua news agency reported.

The official said the reconstruction of the two highways will help regional economic cooperation and development.