Kunming will be the starting point of a four-country, 2,500-kilometer car rally next month that is aimed at promoting friendship between China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and India, according to a Xinhua news report.

The report, citing Myanmar media reports, said that 18 cars from the four countries will set off from Kunming in April – the date of the race's start is still under discussion – and will arrive in Kolkata, India ten days later. Each country will have three cars in the race, which will also include six support vehicles.

The China leg of the race, all of which will be in Yunnan province, will end at the border town of Ruili in western Yunnan, as the cars pass into Myanmar via the town of Muse. Nearly 1,000 kilometers of the rally will be in Myanmar.

As transport infrastructure between the four often uneasy neighbors continues to improve, it is hoped that the rally will promote trade and tourism among the countries, the report said.

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