China, Myanmar establish fast track for essential personnel

China and Myanmar have opened a "fast-track lane" for essential personnel exchanges, a foreign ministry spokesperson said here on Monday.

Zhao Lijian said at a press briefing that a number of necessary personnel in oil and gas, power, and infrastructure projects will be exchanged between the countries in a two-way, return-to-work initiative known as a "fast-track lane".

This is in line with the aim of building a China-Myanmar community with a shared future and conducive to promoting construction of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor and economic and social development of the two countries, he said.

China and Myanmar share a common border of more than 2,200 kilometers. Zhao said that since the COVID-19 outbreak, the two sides have strictly implemented epidemic prevention and controls, and cooperated closely in fighting the epidemic. This followed the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries in mapping out the characteristics of bilateral relations.

"The two sides have established joint prevention and control mechanisms between border provinces and up until now, the two-way zero exchange of the epidemic has been maintained," Zhao said.