India has announced it will not reopen the historic Stilwell Road connecting the country with Burma and China, which has been closed since World War II.

The 1,079-mile-long Stillwell Road was built by American general Joe Stillwell to supply Kuomintang forces in the war against Japan.

North-eastern Indian states close to China had hoped the road would be reopened to improve trade with China thus boosting the local economy.

The 65-year-old, 1,079-mile-long road extends from India’s Assam via Burma’s Kachin State Province to China’s Yunnan.

The road runs for 36 miles in India, 646 miles in Burma and 397 miles in China.

The Indian North-Eastern states close to China had hoped the road would be reopened to improve trade with China, thus boosting the local economy.

The decision comes days after talks failed between India and China to resolve their border dispute.