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Substantial steps have been taken to build the China-ASEAN free trade zone in Yunnan province, on the southwestern border of China, said sources with the provincial government recently.

Transport infrastructure, commercial networks, industrial cooperation, environmental protection and friendly contacts and exchanges constitute the five priorities in the provincial draft to speed up the establishment of the free trade zone, according to Niu Shaorao, deputy governor of the Yunnan province.

At present, the province is boosting its transport network, including several domestic expressways, electrified rail routes, and international air, land and water links with ASEAN countries.

China's section of the Kunming-Bangkok highway is expected to be completed by 2005, while progress has been made in the endeavor to build the Pan-Asian Railway, linking Kunming and Bangkok.

The Lancang-Mekong River opened to commercial navigation last year, which led to a proposed tourism zone along the river.

As part of the effort to build a good commercial network, Yunnan province not only explored commercial routes, but also carried out preferential policies for the flux of capital, information and human resources.

Meanwhile, to attain sustainable growth, Yunnan province has strengthened environmental protection through a "grain for green" program and pollution control and prevention. This will help the province to turn itself a green channel of the China-ASEAN free trade zone.

Compared with other provinces, Yunnan province with its 26 ethnic minorities has very special cultural relations with Laos, Thailand and Myanmar, which is beneficial to the friendly exchanges in cultural and economic fields.

"We hope Yunnan can fully tape our geographical and cultural advantages to serve as an experimental model for the growth of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone," said Niu.