To facilitate trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the southwestern province of Yunnan and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region are stepping up infrastructure construction. A transportation network of sea, land and air ensuring smooth trade channels to ASEAN has now been set up.

This is the construction site of the Nanning-Youyiguan Highway in Guangxi.

The 180-kilometer-long road from the capital of Guangxi to its border city with Vietnam has attracted a total investment of US$500 million.

The project is part of the country's drive to facilitate trade transactions with ASEAN members.

The Yunnan provincial government is now busy dredging the Lancangjiang River. Located on the upper reaches of the Mekong River, the river is seen as a golden water channel among Southeast Asian countries.

It is expected that the efforts will lead to a 11-month navigation period next year, compared to only five months a year in the past.

Deputy Director of Yunnan Transportation Department Wu Zirun said: " Next year we will open tourist routes on the river. By then, passenger and freight vessels hundreds of tonnes in weight will be able to sail directly from Yunnan to Thailand. This is a dream we have had for generations."

Trade opportunities with ASEAN nations have led to a business boom in areas along the river, as well as by the sea.

Guangxi's port city of Qinzhou has expanded its freight-handling capacity to almost 10 million tons, turning the once small harbor into one of the country's major ports.

With two outbound highways and railways, three major ports and fifteen airports, Guangxi and Yunnan are now more closely connected than ever to its ASEAN neighbors.

With a two trillion dollar market in the form of ASEAN, prospects for development and new opportunities in Guangxi and Yunnan look like they are just going to get better.

(CCTV.com October 4, 2003)