Myanmar PM to attend China-ASEAN expo

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-10-17 13:14

YANGON -- Myanmar Prime Minister General Thein Sein will attend the upcoming 5th China-ASEAN Expo and the 5th China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit to be held in Nanning, China in the near future, according to an official announcement from Nay Pyi Taw Friday.

The event is scheduled for October 22-25 in Nanning, the capital of Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

As part of its series of the expo, China-ASEAN Information Ministers Meeting was held on October 13 to 16, attended by Myanmar Minister of Information Brigadier-General Kyaw Hsan.

China-ASEAN expo has been launched annually since 2004.

According to Chinese official figures, China-ASEAN bilateral trade amounted to $202.5 billion in 2007, up 25.9 percent. Of the total, China's import from ASEAN stood $108.36 billion, while its export to ASEAN took $94.14 billion, realizing the trade target three years ahead set by leaders of both sides.

Statistics also showed in 2007, China-Myanmar bilateral trade hit $2.057 billion, up 40.9 percent compared with 2006. Of the total, China's exports to Myanmar took 1.686 billion dollars, up 39.6 percent, while its import from Myanmar stood 371 million dollars, up 46.9 percent. China enjoyed a trade surplus of $1.315 billion.