The Ruili Border Inspection Station in Yunnan announced on 28 November that it has processed more than 5.02 million travellers so far this year—a 7.5 % increase on 2024—along the busy China-Myanmar frontier. Vehicle movements also topped 541 000, reflecting resurgent bilateral trade and tourism after pandemic-era slowdowns.
Ruili alone accounted for 4.72 million passenger movements, while nearby ports at Zhangfeng, Nongdao, and other crossings handled the remainder. To cope with demand, officials have rolled out a smart-inspection system that maps vehicle and pedestrian flows in real time and deploys extra lanes when queues build, trimming average wait times by 30 %.
![China–Myanmar Gateway Sees Record 5 Million Cross-Border Trips in 2025]()
Special lanes have been set up this year: a ‘Belt-and-Road channel’ for official delegations, a ‘Sunshine Lane’ for 12 000 cross-border schoolchildren, and a medical ‘Green Channel’ that has expedited emergency entries for more than 2 000 Myanmar patients. The infrastructure upgrades dovetail with China’s broader strategy to turn Yunnan into a logistics and tourism hub for the Greater Mekong sub-region.
For manufacturers with plants in both countries, faster clearance means fewer driver lay-overs and reduced spoilage of time-sensitive goods, while travel-management companies may now consider routing expatriate staff through Ruili rather than longer detours via Mandalay or Kunming airports.
Authorities plan further digitisation in 2026, including joint pre-clearance with Myanmar customs and a multilingual mobile app that will let frequent travellers book inspection slots in advance.
Ruili alone accounted for 4.72 million passenger movements, while nearby ports at Zhangfeng, Nongdao, and other crossings handled the remainder. To cope with demand, officials have rolled out a smart-inspection system that maps vehicle and pedestrian flows in real time and deploys extra lanes when queues build, trimming average wait times by 30 %.
Special lanes have been set up this year: a ‘Belt-and-Road channel’ for official delegations, a ‘Sunshine Lane’ for 12 000 cross-border schoolchildren, and a medical ‘Green Channel’ that has expedited emergency entries for more than 2 000 Myanmar patients. The infrastructure upgrades dovetail with China’s broader strategy to turn Yunnan into a logistics and tourism hub for the Greater Mekong sub-region.
For manufacturers with plants in both countries, faster clearance means fewer driver lay-overs and reduced spoilage of time-sensitive goods, while travel-management companies may now consider routing expatriate staff through Ruili rather than longer detours via Mandalay or Kunming airports.
Authorities plan further digitisation in 2026, including joint pre-clearance with Myanmar customs and a multilingual mobile app that will let frequent travellers book inspection slots in advance.
