NAY PYI TAW — China has proposed building an economic corridor with Myanmar to further enhance bilateral pragmatic cooperation, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Nay Pyi Taw on Nov 19.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Myanmar’s State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi following their talks held earlier, Wang stressed that China and Myanmar have great potential for cooperation as they are highly complementary in economy.

To further enhance China-Myanmar comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, China has proposed building the China-Myanmar economic corridor so as to form a large cooperation pattern between the two countries, Wang said.

The economic corridor, in consideration of Myanmar’s national development plan and its actual needs, will start in north from China’s Yunnan province, go down south to the central Myanmar city of Mandalay, and further extend east to the new city of Yangon and west to the Kyaukpyu special economic zone, forming a three-pillar giant cooperation pattern, he explained.

Such a design is supposed to boost connectivity among large projects along the routes to have an integrated effect, and at the same time to boost balanced development across Myanmar, he said.

The proposal is a further development of China-Myanmar cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, Wang said, adding that the plan should take into consideration Myanmar’s most urgent needs and start from projects that Myanmar needs most and gradually achieve mutual benefit.

At the press conference, the Chinese top diplomat also expressed support for Myanmar’s peace process, highlighting that China hopes for the smooth progress of the process in Myanmar more than any other country.

China and Myanmar, linked by mountains and rivers, are friendly neighbors and a community of common destiny, he said, adding that China hopes the Myanmar government follows the “”Panglong” spirit and realizes lasting peace in the country.