Thursday, December 07, 2000, updated at 09:59(GMT+8)
China
China Develops International Port on Lancang River
Simao port, along the Lancang River in southwest China's Yunnan Province, has developed into an international port, handling 70,000 tons of cargo and 40,000 passengers annually.
The Lancang River is called the Mekong River after it enters Laos, and flows through Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam into the South China Sea. The Lancang-Mekong River is considered a promising route for linking west China with the five southeast Asian countries.
China started to build the Simao port in 1990. Now, Simao has opened waterways with Laos, Thailand and Cambodia.
Yunnan's import and export volume with Southeast Asian countries accounted for 30 percent of the province's total last year. More than 150,000 tons of goods were transported from Yunnan to Southeast Asia.
Simao port, along the Lancang River in southwest China's Yunnan Province, has developed into an international port, handling 70,000 tons of cargo and 40,000 passengers annually.