Yangon, Jan 1 (IANS): Myanmar is seeking to turn the Chinshwehaw border gate with China into an "international land point of entry", Minister of Labour, Immigration and Population U Thein Swe said on Monday.

Having good potential in trade and tourism, Chinshwehaw in Shan state represents the second largest border gate with China after Muse, Xinhua news agency reported.

Myanmar merchants have called on the government to allow the cross-border trippers to be in and out under visa, passport and other required documents, predicting that the border trade will soar if Chinshwehaw was recognized as an international land border gate.

Border trade through Chinshwehaw has sharply risen since fiscal 2013-14 with the amount reaching $37 million in the last fiscal year of 2016-17.

In fiscal 2017-18, Chinshwehaw targets to receive over $640 million in border trade.

Myanmar mainly exports pulses, corns, sesame, rice, rubber, fisheries, sugar and sugarcane to China while importing from the neighbour fertilizer, construction materials and consumer goods.

According to statistics of the Ministry of Commerce, bilateral trade between Myanmar and China stood at $10.7 billion in fiscal 2016-17.

In the first half of 2017-18, the bilateral trade reached over $5.5 billion, with Myanmar's exports to China standing at $2.46 billion and imports at $3 billion.