Directory_and_Chronicle_1940 — Page 855

Directories & Chronicles 香港指南 All

TENGYUEH

A471

Letters for Tengyueh, if sent from places south and west of Burma, should be marked via Rangoon and Myitkyina, Burma (foreign postage); otherwise, they should be sent via Yunnanfu.

Telegrams should be sent via Burma from places south and west of Tengyueh, but by Chinese radio it from the east.

Parcels from places outside Burma can be sent only as far as Bhamo, from which town they can be sent on to Tengyuel by caravan by an agent (e.g. Messrs. Litung, Bhamo), or they could be sent via Yunnanfu, but by that route they take several months. A parcel post between Burma and Yunnan Provice has been introduced on trial.

TRADE IN 1938

From the point of view of foreign trade the year at Tengyueh was an unusually satisfactory one, the value of the import trade being $2 million as compared with $1. 1 million during 1937, and of the export trade $3. 8 million as against $3. 6 million. Owing to the reduction of supplies of native cotton yarn from Shanghai consequent on the Sino-Japanese hostilities, the markets in Western Yunnan continued to rely, as in 1937, on Tengyueh for large supplies of Burmese cotton yarn and raw cotton; the im- portation of these two commodities, the sole staples of the port, was therefore heavy throughout the year except during the rainy season from July to October. Total quantities imported during the year were 9,436 quintals of yarn and 6,236 quintals of cotton, an increase of about 105 per cent and 28 per cent respectively over the figures for the preceding year. Importations of cotton piece-goods from Burma also regis- tered a fair increase for the same reason. Business was, however, handicapped by the soaring exchange of the rupee and the steady fall of the local currency, and the improvement in importations of cotton yarn, etc., was not reflected in importations of other commodities. The number of mule-loads entering Tengyueh from Burma during the year was 21,191 as against 14,973 for 1937 and 10,356 for 1936. As regards exports, the export of Szechwan raw silk again expanded, amounting to 4,526 quintals valued at $3.2 million as against 3,799 quintals valued at $3 million. This expansion was partly due to the diversion of traffic from the Yangtze River route and partly to the assistance lent by the drop on the open market of the Chinese dollar in terms of foreign exchange. So long as Burma does not impose an import duty on silk entering Burma across the land frontier, the export of Szechw an silk through Tengyueh may be expected to increase. The export of native sundries, mostly local products, also tended to increase.

The development of communications in Western Yunnan received a new impetus as the result of the Sino-Japanese hostilities. The construction of the Yunnan-Burma highway was speeded up and the road completed in November. The surveying also of the projected 700-kilometre railway across South-western Yunnan to connect with Burma was started in the autumn. For the construction of this railway and the chase of motor-trucks for the highway the Chinese Government completed arrange- ments for credits in England and America. Growing trade between Burma and China was also envisaged in the impending opening of an agency of Bank of China in Rangoon.

Directory_and_Chronicle_1940 — Page 855

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