The Ministry of Commerce says border trade between Myanmar and China passed the USD 1 billion mark in the first month of the 2019-2020 fiscal year. The booming trade comes despite a surge in violence along key trade routes and highlights Myanmar’s growing trade relationship with China.

In October 2019, the first month of the fiscal year, the total trade value between Myanmar and China was USD 1,006,768, according to data obtained by Daily Eleven. Myanmar imported around USD 550 million from China. The high number illustrates a deepening trade partnership between the two countries as China continues to develop its Belt and Road initiative (BRI) in Myanmar. That project, the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, calls for massive new infrastructure, including highways, oil and gas pipelines and a high-speed railway linking Mandalay with the border post of Muse.

“Myanmar and China will sign the MoU on the establishment of China-Myanmar border economic cooperation zones,” Daily Eleven quoted Union Minister for Commerce Dr. Than Myint as saying. “We basically plan to build it at Muse-Namkham border in Myanmar side. China wants to implement it at Muse border.”

The high trade volume comes after a summer of intense violence with the Northern Alliance of ethnic armed groups that hampered the flow of goods along the highway between Mandalay and Muse. The situation caused China to pressure both sides to end the fighting, although currently no permanent ceasefire has been reached.