China, Myanmar unveil 7th think-tank forum in Yunnan

The 7th Myanmar-China Think Tank Forum opened on Oct 21 in Mangshi city, west Yunnan’s Dehong Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture, with the theme “Deepen Myanmar-China Agricultural Cooperation and Advance the Construction of a Myanmar-China Community with a Shared Future.”

The 7th Myanmar-China Think Tank Forum opened on Oct 21 in Mangshi city, west Yunnan’s Dehong Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture.

The forum was held as the two countries mark the 76th anniversary of diplomatic relations and as China-Myanmar relations enter a new stage of quality upgrading and deeper practical cooperation. It brought together government officials, think-tank experts, scholars, business representatives and media from both countries.

Wang Yunfei, secretary of the CPC Dehong Prefecture Committee, noted that Dehong has the longest China-Myanmar border among Chinese prefectures and cities, and is home to five national-level ports and ten national-level open platforms. He said agriculture is the deepest foundation of China-Myanmar cooperation. In 2025, agricultural trade between Dehong and Myanmar exceeded 3 billion yuan. Cross-border sugarcane planting, supported by alternative development programs, has linked planting, processing and trade, while Myanmar’s mangoes, rice and seafood have entered the Chinese market through Dehong’s ports. Chinese agricultural machinery, inputs and technologies have also been introduced to Myanmar, benefiting local farmers.

Dr. Toe Min Tun, Director General of the Livestock, Breeding and Veterinary Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation of Myanmar, said Myanmar-China cooperation should not be limited to a single field but should take a more integrated and sustainable approach linking agriculture, rice production, livestock, forestry, environmental protection and border-area development. He highlighted progress in animal health cooperation, including the recognition by China’s General Administration of Customs of Myanmar’s foot-and-mouth disease-free zone in northern Shan State in July 2023, and ongoing cooperation on a BSL-3 animal disease laboratory.

Shen Xiangxing, vice president and Prof. of the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences and the Chinese Academy of South and Southeast Asia Studies (Kunming), reviewed the forum’s development since it was launched in Dehong in 2017. He noted that China-Myanmar bilateral trade reached US$19.4 billion in 2025, up 19.1 percent year on year, and that China remains Myanmar’s largest trading partner and an important source of investment. He proposed deepening cooperation across the entire agricultural industrial chain, advancing the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor and the China-Myanmar-Bangladesh Economic Corridor, strengthening ecological and environmental cooperation, and enhancing people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Dr. Toe Min Tun, Director General of the Livestock, Breeding and Veterinary Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation of Myanmar, speaks at the forum.

H.E. U Thank Kyaw, Chairman of the Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar, said agriculture remains a cornerstone of Myanmar’s economy and that cooperation should move beyond the export of raw agricultural materials toward modern agriculture, agro-processing, food safety, agricultural research and value-added production. He called for early restoration of major border trade routes and closer cooperation on the Myanmar-China Economic Corridor, peace and stability, security cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. He put forward six suggestions, including expanding agricultural cooperation, encouraging responsible Chinese investment, restoring border trade, accelerating priority corridor projects, promoting peace and stability, and deepening think-tank and youth exchanges.

During the opening ceremony, six cooperation documents including framework agreements and memorandums of understanding were signed. The sign‑offs covered agricultural cooperation between Dehong Agricultural Society and Myanmar Rice Federation, green industry and ecological‑environment collaboration between Dehong General Chamber of Commerce and Myanmar Industry Association, as well as multiple university‑local government cooperation agreements among academic institutions in Yunnan and Dehong authorities.

A poster of the 7th Myanmar-China Think Tank Forum

After the opening ceremony, four parallel sub‑forums took place. Experts and scholars conducted in‑depth discussions centering on Myanmar‑China agricultural cooperation, advancement of the China‑Myanmar Economic Corridor and the China‑Myanmar‑Bangladesh Economic Corridor, people‑to‑people connectivity and civilizational mutual learning between Myanmar and China, as well as Myanmar‑China ecological and environmental protection cooperation.

Reporting by Zhang Min