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South China Business Journal

CHINA BRIEFING Asian Highway
to Link India, Myanmar,
and Thailand

By: ASEAN Briefing

Anew section of the planned Asian highway linking Present at the opening ceremony were Myanmar’s Vice President
India, Myanmar, and Thailand has become operational. U Nyan Tun, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak,
The 25.6 kilometer roadway will reduce travel time between and Chairman of the Kayin National Union General Saw Mutu
Thinggan Nyenaung and Kawkareik from three hours to 45 Sae Po.
minutes.
Infrastructure on Track
The newly opened section of the highway is located in the East-
West economic corridor of the Greater Mekong Subregion In addition to the opening of the new highway section, a
(a development project implemented in 1992 by the World cornerstone laying ceremony was also held for the building of
Development Bank and consisting of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Myanmar-Thailand Friendship Bridge No.2, which will link
Thailand, Vietnam, and Yunnan Province, China). It is hoped Maesot, Thailand and Myawdaddy, Myanmar.
that the road will help to further grow trade between Myanmar
and Thailand and build stronger relationships between the The highway is but one of many large-scale infrastructure
people in the region. projects ongoing, or in the planning stages, in the region. As
foreign investment continues to pour in, infrastructure across
Construction on the Asian highway began in 2012 and, once the area is improving by leaps and bounds. In addition to
completed, the road system will stretch 3,200 kilometers from improving the road systems, countries are also moving quickly
Moreh in India to Thailand’s Maesot via Myanmar’s Tamu, to improve their railway systems, a key form of transportation
Mandalay, and Myawaddy. The new road is part of the Asian
Highway Project, which is a cooperative project between Asian
and European countries, as well as the United Nations Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, to work together
on improving the region’s highway systems.

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