Myanmar-China Trade Ties: Economic cooperation promotion meeting in Tianjin

Myanmar-China Economic Cooperation Promotion Meeting was held in Tianjin of China on Sunday.

Acting President and Chairman of the State Security and Peace Commission Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attended the event and made a speech. He highlighted the Myanmar-China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership which was initiated in 2011, and the progress seen in bilateral trade and investment.

China is Myanmar’s largest trading partner and one of the top foreign investors in the country, ranking second among 53 countries that have invested in Myanmar.

The total trade volume between the two countries amounted to over 8 billion US dollar in the 2023–2024 fiscal year, over 7.7 billion US dollar in the 2024–2025 fiscal year, and over 3 billion US dollar as of July in the 2025–2026 fiscal year. These figures reflect the strength and resilience of bilateral trade relations. Myanmar mainly exports agricultural products such as rice, various types of pulses, and sesame, as well as fishery products, hardwood logs, and wood-based finished products such as plywood to China.

The Senior General emphasized the crucial role of the border gates in bilateral trade, and called for cooperation of resuming the trade activities in border areas, ensuring regional stability and contributing to the socio-economic development of the two people.

The Senior General outlined the expansion of trade route from northeastern area of Myanmar to Nanning of Guangxi Province via Yunnan and Sichuang provinces and Chongqing Municipality area. This trade route is set to become a major commercial corridor for both China and Myanmar. Additionally, it will serve as a land bridge linking China’s eastern, central, and southern regions to Myanmar, facilitating economic and trade connections with ASEAN countries.

The Senior General stressed that it is essential to prioritize and collaborate on maintaining peace, stability, and security in the border areas between the two countries. He also reiterated the implementation of bilateral projects in education, health, electricity and energy, agriculture, industry and transportation sectors.

He added that Myanmar is strategically located between China, India, and Bangladesh, three of the world’s most populous countries, offering great opportunities for trade. Its position also places it at a key junction connecting South Asia, Southeast Asia, and China. This makes Myanmar an important land route that can provide China access to the Indian Ocean. He stressed that improving transportation and infrastructure can bring significant benefits for China. If railway projects succeed, trade could even extend as far as Russia, a country that maintains good relations with both Myanmar and China despite the geographic distance. A China-Myanmar-Russia trade partnership could boost regional trade flows and create new economic opportunities.

The Senior General reiterated that Myanmar aligns with many of the priority areas in China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI), offering strong potential for investment. The country welcomes Chinese investors and is working to make trade, border payments, and investments smoother through a direct Yuan-Kyat payment system. Myanmar aims to further boost border trade and investment and is offering benefits like tax exemptions and investment incentives to attract Chinese businesses. He stressed that the government is committed to ensuring a safe and profitable environment for all investors and traders.

He added that Myanmar plans to hold a free and fair general election this December, which is expected to bring greater political stability and open up more economic opportunities. Strategically located near China, India, and ASEAN markets, Myanmar values close and friendly relations with neighboring countries, especially China. He expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to discuss future cooperation between business leaders, experts, and professionals from both nations. He extended invitations to the Chinese investors to confidently explore investment opportunities in Myanmar and expressed hope for long-term, fruitful collaboration between the two countries. This was followed by discussions of Chinese business representatives, showing their interest in investing in various sectors in Myanmar, including EV car production, renewable energy, waste-to-energy projects, mineral extraction, and environmental conservation. They also sought clarity on Myanmar’s import-export policies, tax rates, and investment protection measures.

After the meeting, the Senior General and party enjoyed the luncheon, together with the attendees, followed by demonstration on preparing Myanmar traditional tea leave salad. In the subsequent event, Myanmar and China signed a number of MOUs on cooperation in various sectors. Among them include cooperation and news exchange between the Myanma Radio and Television of the Ministry of Information and Xinhua News Agency, MOU between UMFCCI and China Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (CASME), MOU between Myanmar-India-China Association and CASME, MOU between Shwe Than Lwin Holdings and China Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd., MOU between Royal Green Ocean Co., Ltd. and Jiangxi Longzheng Technology Development Co., Ltd., MOU between Transland Public Co., Ltd. and Yunnan Baoshan Hengyi Industrial Group Co., Ltd. and MOU between Platypus Public Co., Ltd. and China Enerever Solutions (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.