MUSE, MYANMAR, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The annual Myanmar-China border trade fair, which is the 8th, is due to open later on Wednesday in the Muse 105th Mile Border Trade Zone on the Myanmar side aimed at promoting the bilateral trade between the two countries.

    The three-day Myanmar-China border trade exhibition, which also involves four other neighboring countries -- Thailand, India, Bangladesh and Laos, will run until Friday.

    Displayed at the Myanmar booths will be products from the state sector represented by Livestock Breeding and Fishery Department, Ministries of Industry, Hotels and Tourism, and Agriculture and Irrigation as well as the private sector represented by the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Cooperatives and Muse-Nanhkam Border Trade Association.

    Myanmar products mostly cover agricultural produces such as various beans and pulses, maize and sesame, marine products, rubber, furniture and gem items.

    Seminars on investment participated by entrepreneurs from neighboring countries will also be held.

    Since 2001, Myanmar-China border trade exhibitions have been held annually and alternately in respective border towns and the last event was in December 2007 in China's Jiegao, Ruili, a Chinese border town in southwestern Yunnan province linking Myanmar's Muse.

    Ruili remains a main border trade point of China with its border trade volume alone accounting for 70 percent of Yunnan province's border trade with neighboring countries.

    Myanmar established the 150-hectare Muse border trade zone, the first largest of its kind in the country, and transformation of its border trade with China into normal trade has been underway since early 2005.

    Yunnan Province, which borders Myanmar, has more trade relations with the country than any other province of China and Myanmar-China border trade accounted for larger proportion of the two countries' bilateral trade. The trend of rising border trade was apparently up year after year especially the Myanmar-Yunnan bilateral trade.

    Myanmar official figures indicate that the two countries' bilateral trade reached up to 2.4 billion dollars in the fiscal year 2007-08, constituting 24.21 percent of Myanmar's foreign trade.

    China's investment in Myanmar stands the fourth and most of its investment is in the sectors of mining, industry, oil and gas and electricity.