“One Belt, One Road” initiative
Individual Documents
Topic:
bilateral relations, visit, bilateral, border security
Topic:
bilateral relations, visit, bilateral, border security
Description:
"China's president Xi Jingping will today kick off a two-day state visit to Myanmar which is likely to set the course of their future bilateral relations. While the visit is highly significant for Beijing, Myanmar is more hesitant, fearing it is becoming over-dependent on its northern neighbour, according to analysts and diplomats. But the visit certainly is a public endorsement of the special relationship that has formed between the two countries, and may herald a new era of strengthened relationship.
"[This visit] is extremely important, as it is likely to go a long way in defining the course of Myanmar-China bilateral relations into the future, especially under the watch of the NLD [National League for Democracy] administration led by Aung San Suu Kyi," according to Moe Thuzar -- a regional specialist and Myanmar programme coordinator at the Singapore-based think-tank, the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. Nevertheless it is much more than a symbolic occasion, according to most analysts, and a plethora of bilateral agreements on investment and trade are in the pipeline. These are the concrete dividends of such high-level visits -- often the result of months if not years of prior bilateral negotiations. "These deals, apart from the symbolic setting of signatures by the principal players, will also define Myanmar's geo-economic future," Ms Thuzar added..."
Source/publisher:
"Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
Date of publication:
2020-01-17
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-17
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
China-Burma relations, Burma's economic relations with China, “One Belt, One Road” initiative
Language:
more
Topic:
Myanmar - China, Aung San Suu Kyi, Bangladesh, Business & Economy
Sub-title:
China's President Xi Jinping is expected to tie up Belt and Road Initiative deals during his visit to Myanmar.
Topic:
Myanmar - China, Aung San Suu Kyi, Bangladesh, Business & Economy
Description:
"China's President Xi Jinping will visit Myanmar on Friday to ink massive infrastructure deals and extend influence in a neighbouring country whose ties with the West were frayed by accusations that it conducted genocidal policies against ethnic Muslim-majority Rohingya people.
This is Xi's first visit to the Southeast Asian country as the leader of China - and the first visit of any Chinese president in 19 years. Analysts say Xi will bid to revive stalled multibillion-dollar infrastructure projects central to his flagship Belt and Road Initiative, which is described as a "21st-century Silk Road". More:
Myanmar to release its Rohingya crackdown investigation results
ICJ to rule on emergency measures in Myanmar genocide case
World Bank gives China billions in loans despite US objections
Xi is scheduled to meet state counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and army chief Min Aung Hlaing in the capital Naypyitaw, in addition to meeting with the heads of minor political parties.
Historically, the two countries have had a sometimes fraught relationship, with many in Myanmar suspicious of the tremendous sway that China holds over its smaller neighbour..."
Source/publisher:
"Al Jazeera" (Qatar)
Date of publication:
2020-01-17
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-17
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations, Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first), About Aung San Suu Kyi
Language:
more
Topic:
Myanmar - China, Asia Pacific, Xi Jinping, Aung San Suu Kyi
Sub-title:
Xi expected to sign $1.3bn deal to build a port in Rakhine State on his first visit to the country as president.
Topic:
Myanmar - China, Asia Pacific, Xi Jinping, Aung San Suu Kyi
Description:
"Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Myanmar on Friday on his first trip to the country since 2009 and is expected to step up investment in the Southeast Asian nation including in the conflict-racked state of Rakhine, a key link in China's Belt and Road initiative.
Myanmar's Deputy Minister of Commerce Aung Htoo told reporters before the visit that Xi would sign agreements related to the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone and $1.3bn port in Rakhine, where a brutal military crackdown in 2017 led hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee over the border to Bangladesh.
More:
Myanmar's women trafficked to China at risk of sexual violence
ICJ to rule on emergency measures in Myanmar genocide case
China invests billions in Myanmar
"Xi has visited almost all ASEAN countries since assuming power in 2013, but Myanmar had been left out until now," Yun Sun, director of the China programme at the Stimson Center, said in an email to Al Jazeera..."
Source/publisher:
"Al Jazeera" (Qatar)
Date of publication:
2020-01-17
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-17
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations, Politics and Government - global and regional - general studies, strategies, theory
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Chinese President Xi Jinping will begin a two-day trip to Southeast Asian nation on Friday with hopes high he can help finalise details of a US$1.3 billion deal to develop Kyaukpyu port... But China’s growing presence in Indian Ocean is fuelling concerns in New Delhi
Description:
"Chinese President Xi Jinping’s upcoming trip to Myanmar is expected to help Beijing boost its presence in the Indian Ocean, especially if a deal can be finalised on the development of the China-funded Kyaukpyu port.
China’s ambassador to Myanmar, Chen Hai, said on Sunday that Xi was expected to oversee the signing of several deals during a two-day visit that starts on Friday, including possibly putting the final piece of the puzzle in the US$1.3 billion port deal, negotiations for which have been going on for several years.
Once completed, the facility on the Bay of Bengal will provide Beijing with a direct link to oil supplies from the Middle East, as Kyaukpyu is at one end of a massive oil and natural gas pipeline network that runs all the way to Kunming in southwest China’s Yunnan province. That direct link will provide an alternative route for China’s energy imports avoiding the Malacca Strait, which links the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea but has become a flashpoint for Sino-Indian maritime rivalry..."
Source/publisher:
"South China Morning Post" (Hong Kong)
Date of publication:
2020-01-15
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-16
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Topic:
CHINA, BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE, XI JINPING, MYANMAR, AUNG SAN SUU KYI
Sub-title:
Chinese leader to make historic Jan 17-18 visit in bid to advance contested Belt and Road Initiative
Topic:
CHINA, BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE, XI JINPING, MYANMAR, AUNG SAN SUU KYI
Description:
"When Xi Jinping travels to Myanmar on January 17, it will be the first visit by a sitting Chinese president since Jiang Zemin toured the country in December 2001.
Xi’s visit will show just how much times have changed between now and then. Jiang visited Myanmar when it was still ruled by a military junta and China was the then isolated nation’s closest ally.
Xi, on the other hand, will be meeting democratically elected leaders and China is no longer the country’s only important partner. Countries such as Japan and India are now vying for influence by offering various kinds of assistance — economic, political and in the case of India even military — to challenge China’s previously dominant role.
But in a curious twist of events, Myanmar’s still-powerful and autonomous military is the one wary of China and its intentions. The top brass see it as their duty to protect the country’s sovereignty, while nominal leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a politician who wants here government to be re-elected this year, has turned to Beijing for economic and other assistance after her previous allies and admirers in the West distanced themselves from her over the Rohingya refugee crisis..."
Source/publisher:
"Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
Date of publication:
2020-01-16
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-16
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, About Aung San Suu Kyi, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Xi’s first as president will aim to cement Beijing’s position as Myanmar’s largest investor and strategic partner
Description:
"China’s President Xi Jinping arrives in Myanmar this week to nail down multi-billion-dollar infrastructure deals in a country abandoned by many in the West appalled at the “genocide” of Rohingya Muslims on leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s watch.
Xi’s two-day visit, his first as president, will seek to cement Beijing’s position as Myanmar’s largest investor and strategic partner.
The much-trumpeted China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) aims to connect the Middle Kingdom to the Indian Ocean, a key route in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative that envisions Chinese infrastructure and influence spanning the globe. In addition to offering tens of billions of dollars in investment, China shields its neighbor at the United Nations, where pressure is mounting for accountability over the Rohingya crisis.
Yet the relationship between the countries is tangled.
Ethnic conflicts sizzling in border zones and the impact of dams, pipelines and transport links risk awakening hostility over Chinese intentions..."
Source/publisher:
"Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
Date of publication:
2020-01-16
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-16
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"China's President Xi Jinping arrives in Myanmar this week to nail down multi-billion-dollar infrastructure deals in a country abandoned by many in the West appalled at the "genocide" of Rohingya Muslims on leader Aung San Suu Kyi's watch.
Xi's two-day visit, his first as president, will seek to cement Beijing's position as Myanmar's largest investor and strategic partner.
The much-trumpeted China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) aims to connect the Middle Kingdom to the Indian Ocean, a key route in Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative that envisions Chinese infrastructure and influence spanning the globe.
In addition to offering tens of billions of dollars in investment, China shields its neighbour at the United Nations, where pressure is mounting for accountability over the Rohingya crisis.
Yet the relationship between the countries is tangled.
Ethnic conflicts sizzling in border zones and the impact of dams, pipelines and transport links risk awakening hostility over Chinese intentions..."
Source/publisher:
"Radio France Internationale (RFI)" ( Paris)
Date of publication:
2020-01-15
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-15
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations, Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first)
Language:
more
Description:
"Myanmar is a fulcrum of the Belt and Road Initiative and an important corridor between China and Southeast and South Asia. As a traditional friendly neighbor, Myanmar has established a comprehensive strategic partnership with China. Apart from participating in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, Myanmar was among the first 21 countries to join the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Also, China is Myanmar's biggest source of foreign investment.
Since 2013, China and Myanmar together have made remarkable achievements in taking forward the Belt and Road Initiative.
First, the two countries have not only maintained frequent high-level mutual visits but also improved their cooperation mechanism, and thus strengthened mutual political trust. In April 2015, President Xi Jinping met with U Thein Sein, then president of Myanmar, on the sidelines of the Asian-African Summit that was held to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Conference in Indonesia. In October of the same year, Xi met with Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi on the sidelines of the 8th BRICS Summit in India. He also met with Suu Kyi three times at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing between May 2017 and April 2019..."
Source/publisher:
"China Daily" (Beijing)
Date of publication:
2020-01-14
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-14
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Other Special Economic Zones, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"In 1950, Myanmar established diplomatic ties with China. But the bilateral economic relations of the friendly neighbors date back to the pre-Christian era and have flourished recently.
As an old Chinese saying goes, "A good neighbor is better than a far-dwelling relative."
Booming bilateral trade
China is the largest trading partner as well as one of the most important sources of investment for Myanmar. Official data shows that as of July in 2019, China's cumulative investment in Myanmar accounted for over 25 percent of Myanmar's total foreign investment.
Centuries ago, there was a land route between China, Myanmar and India, the southwestern Silk Road. And for that long, China mainly exported silk, porcelain, tea and metals to Myanmar while importing shells as currency, spices, wood and jade from its neighbor..."
Source/publisher:
"China Global Television Network (CGTN)" (China)
Date of publication:
2020-01-14
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-14
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Border Trade with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Topic:
agreements, Belt and Road initiative, BRI, China, China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, CMEC, infrastructure projects, Investment, President Xi Jinping, visit
Topic:
agreements, Belt and Road initiative, BRI, China, China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, CMEC, infrastructure projects, Investment, President Xi Jinping, visit
Description:
"Chinese President Xi Jinping will land in Naypyitaw, the capital of Myanmar, on Friday looking to secure more agreements on key strategic projects under the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC), a part of China’s ambitious infrastructure plan for the region.
Xi will be the first Chinese president to visit China’s southern neighbor in nearly two decades.
During his trip on Jan. 17-18, the two countries are expected to sign dozens of agreements, paving the way for the implementation of the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ), a key strategic component of the CMEC, and border economic cooperation zones, road upgrade projects, promotion of trade relations, and social and economic development assistance.
The 1,700-kilometer-long CMEC will start in Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan Province, go through Myanmar’s major economic cities—Mandalay in central Myanmar and the commercial capital of Yangon—and reach the coast at the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Rakhine State.
Here, The Irrawaddy looks at six projects slated for implementation this year and which require careful monitoring due to ethnic conflicts, local disagreements, and social and environmental impacts—including the controversial Myitsone Dam project, on which a final decision could be made during Xi’s trip..."
Source/publisher:
"The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
Date of publication:
2020-01-13
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-14
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Chinese investment, China-Burma-US relations
Language:
more
Sub-title:
According to Myanmar government sources, Xi is expected to visit Naypyitaw, January 17-18. During his trip, the two sides are expected to sign several agreements covering the construction of the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and border economic cooperation zones, , road upgrade projects, promotion of trade relations among others.
Description:
"Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit Myanmar, a key neighbour of India this week, as Beijing seeks to ramp up support for BRI that will open connectivity in Bay of Bengal. The BRI projects in Myanmar has not received enough local support contrary to Chinese expectations.
This will first visit by a Chinese President to Myanmar in nearly two decades. India will keep a close watch on the visit.
According to Myanmar government sources, Xi is expected to visit Naypyitaw, January 17-18. During his trip, the two sides are expected to sign several agreements covering the construction of the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and border economic cooperation zones, road upgrade projects, promotion of trade relations, and social and economic development assistance, according to Myanmar government sources.
Minister for Commerce U Than Myint told the reporters that Xi will visit Myanmar soon, saying that during his trip an agreement would be signed between the two countries in which China would ease restrictions on imports of products from Myanmar..."
Source/publisher:
"The Economic Times" (India)
Date of publication:
2020-01-13
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-14
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
China-Burma relations, Burma's economic relations with China, Other Special Economic Zones, “One Belt, One Road” initiative, Politics and Government - global and regional - general studies, strategies, theory, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"Upon his visit to Laos in November 2017, Xi Jinping wrote in an open letter, published in English and Lao in Laotian mainstream media, that “there is a high degree of complementarity between China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the strategy of Laos to transform itself from a landlocked to a land-linked country.”
He further described the China-Laos Railway, the flagship of the BRI in Laos, as "(t)he transportation artillery that will drive the development of Laos (and that) is a dream coming true.”
These lines point to two central features of China’s BRI. One is its embracing of the “Chinese Dream”, already extended as China’s “Asia-Pacific Dream”; the second is, more importantly, its discursive power of scripting China’s geopolitical and economic interests in the rhetoric of its partners’ national development strategies.
As the land-linked strategy has been already advertised by the Laotian government for more than two decades, the BRI in Laos is, rather than breaking new ground, an intensified and accelerated continuation of already existing development strategies and policies..."
Source/publisher:
"The Business Times" (Singapore)
Date of publication:
2020-01-13
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-13
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, Burma's economic relations with China, Burma/Myanmar's Foreign relations, general
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Far from the front lines of the US-China trade war, the resource-rich Kachin is the scene of a familiar struggle for influence between the two superpowers...China has invested heavily, but for some locals development has come at a cost
Description:
"While the US-China trade war plays to the audience on the global stage, behind the scenes the two superpowers are engaged in a unique tug of war for influence in one of the world’s more remote corners.
Myitkyina, the capital of Myanmar’s Kachin State about 1,200km north of Yangon, rarely features on tourist bucket lists. Despite its verdant scenery and dynamic culture and traditions, it suffers from high rates of poverty and drug addiction, and has been the scene of a conflict between the Kachin Independence Army and the Myanmar military which has displaced an estimated 100,000 people since a 17-year ceasefire collapsed in 2011. Yet recently not one, but two high-profile visitors arrived in the space of just days.
US Ambassador to Myanmar Scot Marciel and a delegation from the US Embassy held a Myitkyina Road Show in November that included a jobs and opportunities fair, a workshop with the agricultural sector, and a meeting with veterans who fought alongside US troops in World War II. Marciel said the embassy wanted to work with the Kachin people “in support of freedom, democracy, human rights and economic progress”, and that the US was “committed to implementing development programmes in an open, transparent manner … to listen and learn”..."
Source/publisher:
"South China Morning Post" (Hong Kong)
Date of publication:
2020-01-12
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
China-Burma-US relations, “One Belt, One Road” initiative, International Trade, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, Kachin State
Language:
more
Description:
"The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China’s scheme to boost global connectivity and market integration principally through the export of its infrastructure development capabilities, is redefining Southeast Asia’s economic and security environment. Although the BRI risks the usual pathologies of large-scale infrastructure development—corruption, environmental degradation, social instability, and debt—it also promises an array of economic benefits to the region’s diverse economies, not least by addressing the region’s massive infrastructure deficit and potentially jump-starting industrialization in less developed countries there.
Over the first five years of the initiative, more than $500 billion in BRI-related capital has flowed into Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam alone. Much of this capital comes from Chinese sources for developing transportation links. These links, like the pan-Asia railway network, will connect to Chinese cities—one of the many ways the BRI is weaving the Chinese and regional economies and societies together..."
Source/publisher:
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace" (Washington, D.C)
Date of publication:
2019-10-10
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-11
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Topic:
Myitsone dam, Belt and Road Initiative, Aung San Suu Kyi, Xi Jinping, Kachin, Myanmar, China
Topic:
Myitsone dam, Belt and Road Initiative, Aung San Suu Kyi, Xi Jinping, Kachin, Myanmar, China
Description:
"Myanmar leader, Aung San Suu Kyi made a rare trip to a region bordering China days before President Xi Jinping is expected to push for controversial port and dam projects during a visit to the country.
Wearing traditional ethnic attire, Suu Kyi danced with a street procession on Friday in northern Kachin state's capital Myitkyina, a day after supporters cheered her arrival at the airport. She urged a crowd of thousands to "focus on the present" and called for peace in the remote region, where insurgents have clashed with the army over autonomy and resources.
She did not mention the China-backed Myitsone dam, a US$3.6 billion project halted in 2011 in the face of widespread opposition.
A proposal to reinstate the dam drew thousands of protesters onto the streets last year.
Myanmar is a vital piece of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Xi's US$1 trillion vision for maritime, rail and road projects across Asia, Africa and Europe.
During his two-day visit to the country starting 17 January, Xi and top Myanmar political and military leaders are expected to discuss the initiative, according to a Friday briefing by China's Vice Foreign Minister, Luo Zhaohui..."
Source/publisher:
"The ASEAN Post" (Malaysia)
Date of publication:
2020-01-11
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-11
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, About Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations, Dams and other projects on the Irrawaddy and its tributories
Language:
more
Description:
"Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Myanmar next week to boost ties and push investment projects, in a show of support for Aung San Suu Kyi’s government as it faces global condemnation over its treatment of the Rohingya Muslim minority.
Xi will begin the two-day trip on January 17, according to Luo Zhaohui, China’s vice-foreign minister. It will be the first state visit to Myanmar by a Chinese president since Jiang Zemin’s trip in 2001.
Luo said in a briefing on Friday that the countries would seek close economic and trade cooperation through Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative – Xi’s sprawling infrastructure and investment scheme spanning Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond. Chinese observers said Xi’s trip showed the importance of relations with Myanmar, which is strategically located and stands on the frontline of China’s geopolitical rivalry with the United States and other powers in the Asia-Pacific, such as India and Japan.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of China’s official ties with three Asian nations – Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia. Xu Liping, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noted that Xi had chosen to go to Myanmar for his first overseas trip of the year, rather than the other two countries, both of which were at odds with Beijing over the South China Sea..."
Source/publisher:
"South China Morning Post" (Hong Kong)
Date of publication:
2020-01-10
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-11
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma's economic relations with China, Other Special Economic Zones, Border Trade with China, China-Burma relations, “One Belt, One Road” initiative
Language:
more
Description:
"Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Myanmar late next week to discuss bilateral relations and to push for the speedier buildout of Chinese development projects under his massive Belt and Road Initiative, Myanmar analysts said Wednesday.
Neither the Myanmar nor Chinese government has released details of his Jan. 17-18 trip — Xi’s first visit to the Southeast Asian country since 2009 — on the occasion of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries.
Myanmar analysts say Xi’s trip could bode well for the country’s faltering peace process and economic growth.
Beijing has encouraged rebel ethnic armies fighting Myanmar troops in border areas to meet with peace negotiators and agree to bilateral cease-fires with the government military.
China’s primary motive for getting involved in the peace process is driven by its interest in securing border areas so that infrastructure investments in Myanmar under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are not jeopardized, analysts believe..."
Source/publisher:
"Radio Free Asia (RFA)" (USA)
Date of publication:
2020-01-08
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-09
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Other Special Economic Zones, China-Burma relations, Dams and other projects on the Irrawaddy and its tributories
Language:
more
Sub-title:
American apathy in world affairs may be the silver bullet that hands-off systemic leadership to the Chinese. With growing structural capacities, China is able to propagate a new means of conducting world politics, one of a distinctly authoritarian variant.
Description:
"China’s successful economic and geopolitical rise has positioned Beijing to push an agenda that is antithetical to America’s political and economic liberal order. China is no longer a rising power, but rather a peer competitor with the United States fighting to maximize security and global clout. Meanwhile, the United States remains distracted by domestic political polarization and protracted foreign wars. What does this lack of American engagement and increasing Chinese ambition mean for the global order? This is not another piece on America’s “lost hegemony.” Instead, it is representative of aggressive Chinese ambition and coercive economic diplomacy. Perhaps a more relevant scenario to explore would be: if China rolled tanks into Hong Kong tomorrow to quell the persisting pro-democracy demonstrations, how would the international community react? Would the United States be able to draw a red line for China?..."
Source/publisher:
"The National Interest" (USA)
Date of publication:
2020-01-06
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, China-Burma-US relations, Politics and Government - global and regional - general studies, strategies, theory
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Andaman Sea, Belt and Road initiative, Bhamo, BRI, China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, China-Myanmar Irrawaddy Economic Belt, Chinese President Xi Jinping, CMEC, Indian Ocean, Irrawaddy Delta, Kachin State, Kunming, Lio Je customs gate, Longchuan, Mandalay, Muse, Ruili, the Irrawaddy River, Yangon, Yunnan, Zhangfeng
Description:
"Chinese think tanks based in Yunnan have been traveling back and forth between Yangon and the Chinese province’s capital, Kunming, since early 2018. But at times their itinerary has taken them beyondMyanmar’s economic hub.
They have traveled hundreds of miles conducting field investigations up and down the Irrawaddy River, from the north to the south of Myanmar, with high hopes of turning Myanmar’s lifeline into a vital trade and logistics link with China.
The strategic land and water transport route is expected to start in Kunming and run through Longchuan in Yunnan province to Bhamo in Kachin State, then to Yangon and the Indian Ocean. Developing the 2,161-km route from Kunming to Yangon could cost around 3.3 billion Chinese renminbi (700 billion kyats).
The Irrawaddy is the country’s most important waterway, flowing into the Andaman Sea through the Irrawaddy Delta..."
Source/publisher:
"The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
Date of publication:
2019-12-30
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-07
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Dams and other projects on the Irrawaddy and its tributories, Dams and other projects on other rivers and their tributories, “One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Ironically, the solutions proposed by the BRI contradict China’s own development model.
Description:
"China’s top leaders have recently begun to tout China’s own development success as an example for others to replicate. Former Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs He Yafei, for example, has claimed that “the success of the ‘Chinese model’ … offers other developing countries an option different from the ‘American model’ for economic development.” In his address to the 19th Chinese Communist Party Congress in October 2017, President Xi Jinping argued that China’s successful development experience was “blazing a new trail for other developing countries to achieve modernization.”
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched in 2013, is commonly viewed as the primary vehicle for promoting a China model of development. Encompassing 123 countries, the BRI commits China to provide $1 trillion in financing over the next decade for hundreds of infrastructure projects – roads, railways, ports, pipelines, electrical grids, and energy plants – designed to connect both land and maritime networks stretching from Southeast Asia to Europe..."
Source/publisher:
"The Diplomat" (Japan)
Date of publication:
2019-12-17
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Part two of this series looks at American pressure on Chinese outward foreign direct investment.
Description:
"The United States has long been concerned about Chinese outward foreign direct investment (COFDI). Even so, U.S. angst has reached new heights during President Donald Trump’s tenure in office. Under his administration, the United States has launched a three-pronged war against COFDI. The first prong entails a harsher environment for COFDI in the United States. The second encompasses maneuvers against COFDI overseas. And the third involves steps to disrupt the progress of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The first prong has been primarily evidenced by the expansion of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)’s role in reviewing FDI. It has been reflected, too, by the 2018 passage of the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRMMA). Notably, FIRMMA changed the ownership standard triggering CFIUS reviews from 10 percent of voting shares to one focused more on decision-making abilities/control and also expanded CFIUS’s ambit to cover FDI in critical infrastructure and real estate near sensitive locations like military bases. Recently, Congress passed the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, which hits COFDI in the United States directly by forbidding the use of federal funds to purchase rail cars and buses from Chinese-controlled firms. The White House has not publicly pilloried COFDI in the United States, but prominent members of the U.S. Congress continue to warn vociferously about its risks..."
Source/publisher:
"The Diplomat" (Japan)
Date of publication:
2019-01-03
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Sub-title:
The following is an abridged version of Myanmar economist U Myint’s assessment of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and how it may affect Myanmar.
Description:
"In recent years, Myanmar’s decision-makers have interacted with Chinese partners on infrastructure and investment projects in a seemingly dichotomous manner. But in a sense their decisions reflect a practical logic that takes into account the concerns of both the communities affected by those projects and the population at large. The abrupt suspension in 2011 of the billion-dollar hydropower dam project at Myitsone in Kachin State and the more recent agreements entered into by the current government to bring Myanmar closer into the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) orbit present contrasting examples of Myanmar’s approach to Chinese projects in the country. Myanmar hit the “pause” button in its infrastructure deals with China on 30 September 2011, when the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) government led by President Thein Sein suspended the Myitsone dam project for the duration of his administration. That administration ended in March 2016, and the question of whether the project should be resumed or not, and of whether something else could be done with it, has become a heated and emotional issue.
In today’s Myanmar, the democratically-elected National League for Democracy (NLD) government seems to have moved to the “fast-forward” option in its economic interactions with China. A memorandum of understanding for the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) was signed in September 20181. A related agreement to develop a deep-sea port at Kyaukphyu in southern Rakhine State, together with a special economic zone (SEZ), was signed in November 2018. The 1,700-kilometer corridor would connect Kunming, the capital of China's Yunnan Province, to Myanmar's major economic centres – Mandalay and then Yangon — and to the Kyaukphyu SEZ. It would link the least and most developed areas of the country..."
Source/publisher:
"Mizzima" (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2019-12-18
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Other Special Economic Zones, Burma's economic relations with China
Language:
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Sub-title:
This will be Xi Jinping’s first visit to Myanmar after more than a decade and is set for January 17 next
Description:
"The Myanmar government is setting the stage for the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the country.
Xi Jinping is scheduled to discuss China-Myanmar relations and the progress of Chinese development projects, according to government and media reports.
This will be Xi Jinping’s first visit to Myanmar after more than a decade.
He last visited Myanmar in 2009.
The visit is said to be set for January 17.
Progress has been made with major projects that represent important development programmes for China.
Bilateral discussions have focused on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC), including the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ), viewed as Beijing’s strategic window to the India Ocean.
But there are indications that Beijing will be pushing to speed up the projects.
In addition, there are other Chinese investment projects that are likely to come up for discussion, including the controversial Myitsone Dam project that was put on hold by the previous Myanmar government under President Thein Sein..."
Source/publisher:
"Northeast Now" (India)
Date of publication:
2020-01-06
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma's economic relations with China, Other Special Economic Zones, “One Belt, One Road” initiative, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Sub-title:
China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co (CREEC) recently launched a survey for the Muse-Mandalay-Kyaukphyu railway line, part of the China–Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) and the larger Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the region, EThas learnt from people familiar with the developments.
Description:
"A proposed railway line from Kunming in China to two ports in Myanmar — close to the India-funded Sittwe port — is being closely watched by India amid the Centre’s plans to connect corridors in the Bay of Bengal region as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy.
China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co (CREEC) recently launched a survey for the Muse-Mandalay-Kyaukphyu railway line, part of the China–Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) and the larger Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the region, EThas learnt from people familiar with the developments.
In October, Myanmar signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the project, expected to be one of the largest road-and-railway projects in the Southeast Asian country that shares both a land and maritime boundary with India.
The project involves building a high-speed railway line from Kunming to Muse on the Myanmar-China border and from there on to Mandalay, terminating in Kyaukphyu port in Rakhine province. A railway line from the same corridor will branch out to Yangon port, one of the people told ET. China is said to view the project to connect the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone and the deep water port in Myanmar as something that would benefit both countries under the larger CMEC umbrella. Local politicians say the project could turn out to be a second ‘Hambantota’ and China could take over the ports in future if Myanmar does not earn sufficient revenue from it..."
Source/publisher:
"The Economic Times" (India)
Date of publication:
2019-12-26
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Other Special Economic Zones, Burma's economic relations with China, Burma's economic relations with India
Language:
more
Description:
"When Chinese President Xi Jinping first unveiled the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, it was heralded as one of the largest infrastructure development schemes in history.
But the globe-spanning strategy, involving up to US$8.5 trillion in investments spread across more than 80 economies, also poses a number of potential environmental impacts and could threaten biodiversity, which is of particular concern for China’s neighbours in Southeast Asia.
The region is a global biodiversity hotspot and home to numerous threatened species not found anywhere else in the world including charismatic megafauna such as tigers and Asian elephants. But much of China’s belt and road investment in Southeast Asia have come in the form of fossil fuel projects or natural resource extraction – both of which are likely to cause habitat loss, threaten wildlife and increase pollution..."
Source/publisher:
"South China Morning Post" (Hong Kong)
Date of publication:
2020-01-05
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"The Heartland Foundation was formed in Lashio, northern Shan State, in 2012 and has become a leading environmental conservation organization. Recently, it formed a watchdog team to monitor China-backed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects, together with nearly 20 local civil society organizations. In particular, their efforts will focus on transparency issues, and the environmental and social impacts of the projects.
The team is preparing to raise awareness among locals of China-backed projects that are soon to be implemented across northern Shan State. The Irrawaddy spoke with U Aung Myo Htun, project officer of the Heartland Foundation in Lashio, about locals’ major concerns regarding the China-backed Muse-Mandalay railway project and its potential environmental and social impacts, and growing Chinese influence in northern Shan State. Nan Lwin: What do you think about the public consultations related to the Muse-Mandalay Railway?
U Aung Myo Htun: We have already collected a lot of data regarding the railway. Recently, the EIA [environmental impact assessment] company did so-called public consultations in some major cities. As far as we have observed, their techniques are not systematic. They have neglected the most important tasks of a standard EIA.
Moreover, those who were consulted do not broadly represent the affected local communities. They only invited a few elderly people and local government officials [from the General Administration Department] from each affected village tract..."
Source/publisher:
"The Irrawaddy" (Thailand) via "Global Voices" (Amsterdam)
Date of publication:
2019-12-26
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"The focus of this article is two-pronged. First, it highlights China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ (OBOR) initiative
as a Eurasia-centred project that, distinct from the twentieth-century Eurasianism, aims to introduce a new
comprehensive integrationist agenda to the Eurasian strategic landscape. Second, it compares the US-led EuroAtlanticism and the emerging Eurasianism, holding that while the former has historically stressed security over
development (development is seen as contingent on the establishment of a hard security regime), the latter
prioritises development over security (security is viewed as contingent on the establishment of an inclusive
economic regime). Thus, this research argues that, if implemented successfully, OBOR could challenge EuroAtlanticism as the long-held normative paradigm of interstate relations by offering a systemic alternative.
EURASIANISM IS A CENTURY-OLD IDEA. EMERGING IN THE early 1920s and largely nurtured
by the Russian immigrants settled in Europe, the concept, despite its various interpretations
along different political and ideological lines, laid claim ‘to represent some unique synthesis
of European and Asian principles’ (Bassin 2008, p. 281), defining Russia ‘not as a European
and not as an Asian country; … as a third, special continent of Slav–Turkic cohabitation that
bears the imprint of the great empires that have ruled over its expanses—from the Mongolian
to the Russian’ (Laruelle 2009, p. 94).1
Although the Eurasian doctrine did not assume itself
as a unified ideology but rather evolved into a multitude of different forms (Laruelle 2015),
early Eurasianism in general argued a particular geographic, linguistical, ethno-cultural, and
philosophical identity for Russia distinct from both Europe and Asia (Shlapentokh 1997,
pp. 130–31; Senderov 2009, p. 25; Mileski 2015, pp. 177–79). However, despite the fact that
early Eurasianist thought envisioned a unique political and philosophical space for Russia,
it also ‘developed a positive but general discourse about the Orient’, holding that ‘Russia
should be closer to Asia than to Europe’ (Laruelle 2004, p. 116). During the Cold War, under
the weight of deep ideological confrontation with the West, the Eurasianist thought took a
further Orientalist inclination, emphasising cultural and ideological differences from Europe
(Von Hagen 2004, p. 450). Especially with the emergence of NATO and the expansion of
US- and Soviet-led camps ‘beyond the original arenas of Europe and Asia’, the militarised This research was sponsored by the International Postdoctoral Exchange Programme of Shandong University..."
Source/publisher:
"Europe-Asia Studies"
Date of publication:
2018-03-09
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative
Language:
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pdf
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722.61 KB (26 pages)
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Description:
"Peng Nian is an associate fellow at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies and a non-resident fellow at the Institute for China-America Studies. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.
On December 7, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Myanmar and lent strong support to Myanmar's State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who will head to the international court of justice (ICJ) in The Hague to defend Myanmar against accusations of genocide. Wang is the first foreign diplomat who came to Myanmar to show support to the democratic government and the Burmese military which have been criticized fiercely by the West since Aung San Suu Kyi's announcement of her appearance in the ICJ at the end of last month.
China has continued to provide necessary assistance to Myanmar to solve the Rohingya crisis in the past two years, mainly including the "three steps" proposal of the resolution of Rohingya crisis, and the diplomatic mediation on the agreement between Myanmar and Bangladesh on repatriating of Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh..."
Source/publisher:
"China Global Television Network (CGTN)" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-12-10
Date of entry/update:
2019-12-14
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
China-Burma relations, “One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China
Language:
more
Description:
"The second Belt-Road Forum (BRF) was held in Beijing from 25-27 April 2019. The three-day event was organized to promote the ‘Belt-Road Initiative’ (BRI) - President Xi Jinping’s multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure development and investment venture. The Summit was attended by 40 global leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, China’s two closest allies. The gathering was larger than the first Summit held in 2017, which had just 29 participants. Among the new entrants were Austria, Portugal, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Thailand. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte became the first G7 leader to join the BRI. India stayed out for the second time on grounds of sovereignty given that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) traverses through Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
BRI has come under fire due to lack of transparency, weak institutional mechanism, scepticism about Chinese loans leading to debt trap, and poor environmental record. Besides, it is being perceived as an exclusive ‘Chinese Club’. With new deals aggregating US$ 64 billion signed and 283 concrete deliverable outcomes, despite criticism particularly from the US and its allies, the grand plan apparently remains on track and is gaining international traction. With a view to dispel growing concerns, the focus of this second Forum was on projecting BRI as an attractive investment destination. President Xi staunchly defended the Belt-Road, assuring its ‘win-win’ outcome..."
Source/publisher:
"Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA)" (New Delhi)
Date of publication:
2019-05-22
Date of entry/update:
2019-12-09
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, China-Burma-India relations, Burma/Myanmar's Foreign relations, general
Language:
more
Description:
"Not long ago, Beijing’s perspective towards Nepal was limited to that of a ‘good neighbour’ only.1 Though the presence of about 20,000 Tibetans in Nepal has been an issue of major concern to Beijing, it has carefully managed its relations with Nepal which it sees as a strategic geographic zone in the Himalayan valley. The Chinese outlook seems to be changing fast as evident from the outcomes of President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Nepal on October 12-13, 2019. With growing emphasis on strengthening bilateral cooperation especially on building sub-regional connectivity,2 Beijing seems to be orchestrating a Himalayan approach in its relations with Kathmandu – revealing a grander Chinese policy in making.
On the side-lines of his Nepal visit, President Xi’s article published in Nepali newspapers sketched a bigger Chinese ambition with a view to forge “strategic and long-term” cooperation between the two sides.3 Stressing on a ‘renewed friendship’, Xi’s article was a curtain raiser to the joint statement which outlined resolute Chinese goals to promote “trans-Himalayan multi-dimensional connectivity network” in the region. Such ambitions are not unusual in Chinese strategic calculus — a similar approach could be noticed in China’s interactions with other immediate neighbours such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar in particular. What is striking about China’s recent outreach to Nepal is its effort to transform the relationship into a comprehensive partnership, aiming to integrate with its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the Himalayan valley..."
Source/publisher:
"Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA)" (New Delhi)
Date of publication:
2019-11-04
Date of entry/update:
2019-12-09
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, China-Burma-India relations, Burma/Myanmar's Foreign relations, general
Language:
more
Description:
"Myanmar President U Win Myint on Saturday met with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Naypyidaw, the country's capital, with both sides pledging to strengthen high-level exchanges to push bilateral ties to a new high.
The Myanmar president expressed gratitude to China for its long-term support for Myanmar's sovereignty, dignity and socio-economic development.
He hoped that both sides will take the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year as an opportunity to consolidate and deepen mutual political trust, speed up the joint construction of the Belt and Road, comprehensively press forward the building of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor. The president also hope to expand cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, education, health, and enhance cooperation and coordination in regional and international issues so as to further advance the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries. He also hoped that China would continue to support Myanmar in pressing forward the ongoing national reconciliation and peace process..."
Source/publisher:
"China Global Television Network (CGTN)" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-12-08
Date of entry/update:
2019-12-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
China-Burma relations, Other Special Economic Zones, Burma's economic relations with China, Border Trade with China, “One Belt, One Road” initiative
Language:
more
Sub-title:
For instance, the Kara-Balta oil refinery -- Kyrgyzstan's largest Chinese investment -- has faced significant problems with overcapacity in the recent years.
Description:
"Chinese infrastructure projects under its One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiatives in Central Asia, Pakistan and Myanmar are projected to lose money due to underutilisation and could potentially cause more harm than good, a prominent US think-tank said in a report on Thursday.
In its latest report on China, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said India has expressed significant hesitation toward the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China.
Leaders in New Delhi opted out of both the 2017 and 2019 Belt and Road Forums. In addition to being generally skeptical of the BRI, one specific major concern is building of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through Kashmir, it said. Economic considerations further complicate these concerns, the CSIS said in its report.
"BRI infrastructure projects in Central Asia, Pakistan and Myanmar are projected to lose money due to underutilisation and could potentially cause more harm than good, it said.
For instance, the Kara-Balta oil refinery -- Kyrgyzstan's largest Chinese investment -- has faced significant problems with overcapacity in the recent years..."
Source/publisher:
"News 18" (UK)
Date of publication:
2019-12-05
Date of entry/update:
2019-12-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, Burma/Myanmar's Foreign relations, general, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"Refugees from conflict in the northern part of Myanmar’s Shan state say they are worried that their land could be confiscated for Chinese-backed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)-related infrastructure projects while they are unable to return because of fighting.
In 2011, armed conflict between Myanmar’s military and several insurgent groups in the area broke out in northern Shan. Fighting intensified in 2015 as the military began conflict with the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS).
The fighting has caused nearly 17,000 IDP to seek shelter in Namtu, Kutkai, Namhkam and Mong Yawng townships according to statistics kept by volunteer organizations. These IDP are worried because they don’t have the proper legal documentation for lands that they consider to be ancestral.
Seng Tu, an internally displaced person (IDP) living in the Kutkai refugee camp, and a member of the IDP farmland committee, told RFA’s Myanmar Service that fellow refugees are very concerned and want a freeze on the Chinese projects.
“The government is planning projects like reservoirs or agricultural zones on our land without our knowledge,” he said..."
Source/publisher:
"Radio Free Asia (RFA)" (USA)
Date of publication:
2019-12-06
Date of entry/update:
2019-12-07
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Land research including land grabbing - global and regional, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Myanmar pins hopes on brand new city to entice foreign investment and jobs, but must respond to concerns about transparency and sea-level rise
Description:
"It’s summer and Yangon is scorching hot. The hotel air-conditioning shuts down as it does several times a day due to electricity shortages. Shops and apartment buildings fire up growling diesel generators whose fumes mix poisonously with the exhaust of the second-hand Japanese cars streaming past.
I’m waiting for a ferry at Pansodan pier in the south of the city. Behind me is Yangon’s “Bund”, a row of colonial-era commercial and administrative buildings. In front is the Yangon river, whose waters flow gently, if a little murkily. On the other bank I can see the township of Dala. The view is flat and rural, a stark contrast to Yangon’s bustling cityscape.
Reaching Dala, I take a motorbike westwards, crossing the Twante canal via a steel bridge with an unpaved surface that makes the wheels skid. Farmers are transplanting rice in plots either side of the road. It’s countryside the whole way. ’ve come to see the area where a new city is being planned. Dubbed Myanmar’s Shenzhen, “New Yangon City” will cover 80km2 west of the Yangon river. Although only separated from the old city by the river, the area is relatively cut off. The only direct route is via the ferry to Dala..."
Source/publisher:
Chinadialogue (London/Beijing)
Date of publication:
2019-11-29
Date of entry/update:
2019-12-02
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Other Special Economic Zones, Chinese investment, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Sub-title:
We should not play down the geopolitical consequences of the Chinese-led globalization that BRI v.2.0 represents.
Description:
"Last week, China hosted the second Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation in Beijing. This was an occasion to take stock, as well as introduce course corrections into the process of unrolling the six-year old Belt and Road Initiative.
37 countries and 29 international organizations participated in the event, with notable presence of Russian President Putin, President Pinera of Chile, President Ueli Maurer of Switzerland, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Italy and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Prominent India’s neighbors who marked their presence over there were President Bindiya Bhandari of Nepal, Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan, State Counsellor Aung San Su-Kyi of Myanmar. The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and managing director of the IMF Christine Lagarde also attended the event.
The first phase of BRI was an unfolding of China constructing connectivity hardware — railway lines, highways, ports and pipelines. The emphasis now is to improve the software — international cooperation, trade agreements, customs and taxation procedures and financial processes, which is to be linked with China’s overall plans for transforming its domestic economy to emphasize “quality construction” based on innovation and science and technology. On the other hand there is a conscious effort to connect it to a new phase of Chinese global policy which seeks to expand China’s geopolitical reach by assisting developing countries to overcome poverty and joblessness..."
Source/publisher:
"Observer Research Foundation (ORF)" (India)
Date of publication:
2019-05-02
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-30
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"There are three major components to China’s global ambitions: The Belt and Road Initiative, 5G, and the South China Sea.
Simone Gao: I mean in the history of the world, very few power or no power has been able to dominate both land and sea, you know, at the same time. But China, through belt and road initiative is trying to do that.
John Sitilides: One of the benefits of having a command economy is you can plan out what your objectives are and then order your corporations, your banks, your lending institutions, your industrial leaders to undertake the policies you need to achieve the goals under a command economy. Huawei has secured 5G contracts with over 60 countries around the world, many of which are U.S. allies, despite American warnings over cybersecurity concerns.
John Sitilides: China probably has its single most effective lobbying operation in Brussels, than anywhere else in the world.
Simone Gao: What do you think China’s final goal is in the South China sea and what is America’s plan on China?..."
Source/publisher:
"The Epoch Times" (New York)
Date of publication:
2019-11-27
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-29
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, Burma/Myanmar's Foreign relations, general
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Winding through many of the areas of conflict in Myanmar’s areas dominated by ethnic minorities, the China Myanmar Economic Corridor may spark off more fighting, writes Nicholas Lo
Description:
"A year ago, Myanmar and China signed an agreement to establish the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC), as part of China’s Belt and Road global infrastructure initiative. Today, that corridor is mired in conflict between the Myanmar military and ethnic armed groups.
Stretching 1,700 kilometres, the CMEC’s network of new railways, trade zones and other major infrastructure projects is meant to mesh the comparatively impoverished economy of Myanmar with its wealthier neighbour’s landlocked southern province of Yunnan. However, ongoing armed conflict and lingering resentment against Chinese investments mean the future of the CMEC is uncertain.
Since its transition to semi-civilian rule in 2011, Myanmar has proven to be more cautious with Chinese investments than other developing countries. In August 2018, Myanmar officials negotiated an 80% cost reduction to the proposed Kyaukphyu deep-sea port, trimming the project from over USD 7 billion to USD 1.3 billion, Reuters reported. The Myanmar side, led by deputy finance minister Set Aung, baulked at the risk of an excessive debt burden.
This mindset has extended to new CMEC deals, where Myanmar officials have successfully set out conditions for major Chinese investments, insisting on the right to open tenders and the ability to seek international financing. So far, out of 38 projects proposed by China for the CMEC, Myanmar’s government has approved nine..."
Source/publisher:
"The Third Pole"
Date of publication:
2019-11-26
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-27
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Chinese investment, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Economic powerhouse is investing billions of dollars in infrastructure projects around the world
Description:
"This story is part of a CBC News series exploring China's expanding influence around the world and how Canada and other countries are contending with China's growing power.
Back in 2013, when the U.S. and many other countries were still recovering from the Great Recession, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced perhaps the most transparently ambitious foreign policy of the new century: the Belt and Road Initiative.
The name is a nod to the Silk Road, the ancient network of trade routes that connected China with the Roman Empire and many societies in between.
The modern version envisioned by Xi goes even further.
China is financing hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of infrastructure projects — including ports, roads, bridges, railways, power plants, telecommunications networks and much more — in partnering countries throughout Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond.
The purpose, China says, is to accelerate and enhance development and trade in order to create new markets and opportunities for China and its partners..."
Source/publisher:
"CBC news" (Toronto)
Date of publication:
2019-11-27
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-27
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) provides momentum for regional economic integration and connectivity, helping China and ASEAN forge a closer community of shared future, said Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Nam Hong.
Hor made the remarks Saturday at the opening ceremony of the 16th China-ASEAN Expo themed "Building the Belt & Road, Realizing Our Vision for a Community of Shared Future."
The deputy vice prime minister envisioned that the China-ASEAN strategic partnership and the BRI will further deepen the cooperation between the two sides in the joint pursuit of shared prosperity.
Statistics show that China has signed cooperation agreements with more than 130 countries across the globe and 30 international organizations on jointly building the Belt and Road, benefiting people of the involved nations.
Highlighting regional economic cooperation, this year's China-ASEAN expo is expected to lift the practical and comprehensive cooperation between China, ASEAN and other countries participating in the BRI to new heights..."
Source/publisher:
"Xinhua" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-09-23
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-26
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with ASEAN, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, Burma's economic relations with China, ASEAN-Burma relations, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Some projects will succeed. Others will fail. And in the end, China will likely find the political gain is quite mixed.
Description:
"China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) continues to attract much comment. To some, it is a threat – proof that China’s aim is to extend Chinese global influence. To others, it is a useful contribution to global capital flows. Where does the balance lie between these two views? Three issues, particularly, are worth considering: the size of the BRI program; the place of BRI in capital flows to developing countries; and the likely political gains to China from supporting the program.
First, in reality, it seems impossible to obtain much meaningful information on the true size of the BRI. But what does is clear is that many of the extravagant statements about likely spending through the program are wildly unreliable. There are references to spending plans of a trillion dollars (or so) over periods of ten years or more in various reports of “commitments” made in various Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs). But vague references of this sort of thing are virtually meaningless in economic terms. Commitments are not the same thing as project approvals. Many “commitments in principle” never come to anything. In any case, MOUs are a dime-a-dozen after ministerial meetings around the world..."
Source/publisher:
"The Interpreter"
Date of publication:
2019-07-10
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-26
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) continues to draw criticism and disapproval. Its sceptics brand it as China’s Marshall Plan or as a ‘neo-imperial project’. To ensure the initiative’s success, China should heed some of these concerns and take steps to improve the implementation of BRI-related projects. Doing so is particularly important in ASEAN — a region that stands to greatly benefit from BRI investment, if done right. ASEAN is the world’s sixth-largest economy with a total GDP of more than US$2.5 trillion. Economies across the region are growing steadily at an average annual rate of around 5 per cent. Sustaining this growth requires the region to meet its growing infrastructure needs, which are estimated to amount to US$2.8 trillion from 2016 to 2030.
China’s BRI is important for ASEAN because it can help to fund and meet the region’s infrastructure needs. It also supports the success of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 initiatives.
A major BRI–ASEAN project is the Pan-Asia Railway Network designed to connect China with Southeast Asia. Its three main railway routes — the eastern, central and western routes — all begin in Kunming, China. The eastern route has a total estimated cost of US$600 million and will pass through Vietnam and Cambodia into Thailand. The central route will pass through Laos, Thailand and Malaysia into Singapore. As a high-speed railway project, it is the most expensive route with an estimated cost of more than US$33 billion. The western route will pass through Myanmar into Thailand and is estimated to cost US$2 billion..."
Source/publisher:
"East Asia Forum" (Australia)
Date of publication:
2019-01-26
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with ASEAN, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, Burma's economic relations with China, ASEAN-Burma relations, China-Burma relations
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Description:
"China’s power in the Asia-Pacific is growing according to assessments of military strength. Independent analysts predict that the country is already close to becoming an Asian superpower on par with the United States. A new wave of involvement in overseas port acquisition and construction has pointed to the possibility of basing rights and power projection as far as Africa. These more recent developments raise crucial questions: has China’s security concept already reached a post-Asia-Pacific stage?
If so, what are the consequences for other regions where Beijing’s overseas ambitions come up against preexisting regional balance-of-power dynamics and security frameworks? This article looks at how and why China’s strategic vision has shifted westward, and how traditional security and risk management concerns are driving efforts to link continental states beyond the immediate periphery – focusing first on Bangladesh – with an existing cluster of interests and influence in Southeast Asia..."
Source/publisher:
"Global Risk Insights" (Canada)
Date of publication:
2019-07-21
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"On the western bank of the muddy Hlaing River, development and prosperity is a distant view. It can be seen across the expanse of water in the rising apartment blocks, office buildings and grinding industry.
Over there is Yangon proper, a city of some six million people and the economic hub of Myanmar. Over here is a simpler life of small villages, struggling rice fields and roads as bumpy as local prospects.
But both the landscape and the outlook of the population on the western bank are set for dramatic change in the coming years. A mega project is planned on this land, a new metropolis to be powered by Chinese money.
The New Yangon City project is an ambitious and controversial idea in its early conception days. The grand vision of Yangon’s regional government, which created the New Yangon City Development Company (NYDC) in March last year to partner with a Chinese state investment firm, is to build a brand new smart and “liveable” city with a population of 1.2 million people by 2050..."
Source/publisher:
"CNA" ( Singapore)
Date of publication:
2019-11-23
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma's economic relations with China, Chinese investment, “One Belt, One Road” initiative, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"Sign up for Next China, a weekly email on where the nation stands now and where it’s going next.
By many measures, China’s Belt and Road Initiative has been a monumental success. Since 2013, when China launched the effort to expand trade links, more than 130 countries have signed deals or expressed interest. The World Bank estimates some $575 billion worth of energy plants, railways, roads, ports and other projects have been built or are in the works. But President Xi Jinping’s signature effort has also come in for criticism, including accusations that China is luring poor countries into debt traps for its own political and strategic gain. The mixed reviews abroad and worries at home about the cost have led China into something of a reboot as it tries to increase transparency, improve project quality and reduce financial risks..."
Source/publisher:
"Bloomberg News" (USA) via Washington Post" (USA)
Date of publication:
2019-10-31
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-22
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, Burma/Myanmar's Foreign relations, general
Language:
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Description:
"Bangladesh and China have launched a new platform, the Bangladesh-China Silk Road Forum, in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, focusing on lasting links under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) between the two countries for mutual benefit.
The event was attended by political leadership, high-ranking officials from the private and public sector, community representatives and the members of the business sector and media.
Bangladesh prime minister's foreign affairs adviser Gowher Rizvi and Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Zhang Zuo among others, spoke at the launching ceremony Saturday.
"I want truly to felicitate the launch of Bangladesh-China Silk Road Forum," said Rizvi. "Congratulate and thank you for initiative to establish the forum."
"The BRI is not only one of the important initiatives of our time but it is also very needful in fixing our (Bangladesh development) priorities," he said.
According to the advisor, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the last 10 years has been emphasizing the importance of connectivity.
She sees connectivity as mechanisms or tools through which Bangladesh's prosperity and stability can be rebuilt, he added..."
Source/publisher:
"Global Times" (China) via "Mizzima" (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2019-05-21
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-21
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"The euphoria about the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Indonesia and elsewhere in South and Southeast Asia (SEA) has been felt since 2017, particularly following the country’s participation in the BRI Summit in Beijing that year, where Indonesia (along with other SAARC and ASEAN member states) was expected to receive massive investments from China to support several infrastructure projects.
This year, the debates concerning the BRI are again becoming prevalent after Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Panjaitan as Indonesia’s representative signed 28 BRI projects last April. Among the various debated subjects is the growing concern about the real nature of the BRI. Is that a Chinese developmental initiative or a geopolitical instrument that uses debt-trap as a tool to bring targeted countries into the desired terms..."
Source/publisher:
"Modern Diplomacy"
Date of publication:
2019-11-19
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-21
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, Burma's economic relations with China, Australia-Burma relations, China-Burma relations
Language:
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Title: Potential Environmental and Social Impacts of Chinese Mega-Projects in Myanmar Raise Concerns
Topic:
air, backbone projects, Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar, BCIM, Belt and Road initiative, biodiversity, BRI, China, China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group, China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, CITIC, Climate Change, CMEC, CNICO, Development, economic benefit, endangered species, Environment, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, ESIA, Forests, Global Warming, growth, Infrastructure, Investment, Irrawaddy River, Kyaukphyu, land grabbing, Letpadaung Taung copper mine, mega projects, Muse-Mandalay Railway, Natural Resources, noise pollution, oil and gas pipeline, Pollution, port, Protest, Railway, sea, SEZ, social impact, Special Economic Zone, Strategic Environmental Assessment, Wanbao Mining Company, Water
Topic:
air, backbone projects, Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar, BCIM, Belt and Road initiative, biodiversity, BRI, China, China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group, China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, CITIC, Climate Change, CMEC, CNICO, Development, economic benefit, endangered species, Environment, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, ESIA, Forests, Global Warming, growth, Infrastructure, Investment, Irrawaddy River, Kyaukphyu, land grabbing, Letpadaung Taung copper mine, mega projects, Muse-Mandalay Railway, Natural Resources, noise pollution, oil and gas pipeline, Pollution, port, Protest, Railway, sea, SEZ, social impact, Special Economic Zone, Strategic Environmental Assessment, Wanbao Mining Company, Water
Description:
"With more and more Chinese investment flowing into the country, many key government officials are speaking out in support of the projects, which range from a high-speed railway line to special economic zones to seaports. At several local investment forums, they have voiced the view that China’s grand infrastructure projects will bring economic development to Myanmar and economic benefits to local people, while boosting the country’s strategic importance in the region.
But what they have so far failed to mention is the possible environmental and social impacts of the projects on host communities. They rarely talk about how the projects threaten biodiversity, protected forests and natural water resources. Faced with this official silence, experts and activists worry aloud about land confiscations, influxes of migrants, loss of livelihoods and air, water and noise pollution in the project areas.
Massive project-related activities are now being implemented under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework in Myanmar, following the signing last year of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China to establish the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC)..."
Source/publisher:
"The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
Date of publication:
2019-11-19
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-20
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Other Special Economic Zones, Burma's economic relations with China, Chinese investment, China-Burma relations, “One Belt, One Road” initiative, Climate Change - Migration Burma/Myanmar, The impact of climate change on the environment of Burma/Myanmar
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Xi Jinping’s first ever visit to Nepal underscored Himalayan nation’s shift towards Beijing and away from Delhi
Description:
"While Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent unofficial summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made global headlines, the two rival nations’ subsequent moves were arguably more telling of their strategic intent.
Asia’s most populous nations are locked in an intensifying competition for South Asian influence, one where China is increasingly stealing a march in a region India has long considered its sphere of influence.
Underscoring the point, a Xinhua report quoted Xi as saying that the “dragon and elephant dance is the only correct choice for China and India” and that differences should be handled in a “correct way.” Sun Shihai, a Chinese India expert, was quoted in regional media as saying that “despite the leadership summits, there’s still deep-rooted suspicion and antagonism between the two countries.”
Core to that antagonism is a still festering border dispute in the Himalayan Doklam region, where the two sides engaged in a weeks-long standoff in 2017, and the long-time presence of Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader Dalai Lama in India..."
Source/publisher:
"Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
Date of publication:
2019-10-17
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-19
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
China-Burma-India relations, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, “One Belt, One Road” initiative
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Beijing has leveraged its Belt and Road Initiative to gain the upper hand on the Mekong River while the US and Japan’s competing initiatives wash away
Description:
"When the state tabloid China Daily ran a paid advertisement in the New York Times extolling the virtues of Beijing’s proliferating dams in Laos, the piece sparked a new cold war controversy.
Entitled “Employment on hydroelectric project in Laos delivers better lives”, the piece stated that a proposed cascade of dams on the Nam Ou River will enable well-paid local workers to buy pickup trucks and provide the poor country with badly needed electricity. The paid placement also noted the Nam Ou cascade “is a key part of the China-led Belt and Road Initiative and is the first project undertaken by a Chinese-invested company to cover an entire river.”
With its rising regional clout and massive state resources, China has recently gained a clear upper hand vis-à-vis the United States and Japan in determining the crucial waterway’s future development and direction.
It’s an economics-over-environment vision that downstream nations have often opposed but without recourse or resources to fight back there is little they can do as US and Japan-backed counter-initiatives for the river wash away into irrelevance..."
Source/publisher:
"Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
Date of publication:
2019-06-24
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-19
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
China-Burma relations, “One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, Violation of environmental and human rights
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Chinese built high-speed railway expected to transform southern neighbor and boost economy
Description:
"The friendship between China and Laos is blossoming, according to an editorial in the Vientiane Times and quoted by Xinhua on April 22. Laos is a partner in China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the most significant project in that relationship is the construction of a high-speed railroad from the Chinese border to the Laotian capital Vientiane.
According to Xinhua, Laotian President Bounnhang Vorachit recently visited one of the many construction sites and described the railroad as a critical project that would transform Laos from being a landlocked country into a “land-linked” one.
The railroad will “boost economic growth,” the report said, and recognize business opportunities in Laos. “Several Chinese banks have expanded their operations here in Laos.”
The number of Chinese tourists in Laos is also increasing and has become a vital source of income for Laos. The country expects to receive more than a million Chinese visitors this year..."
Source/publisher:
"Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
Date of publication:
2019-04-24
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-19
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, “One Belt, One Road” initiative, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Sub-title:
US, EU and Japan are all mounting economic, financial and strategic counters to China’s peaceful rise narrative
Description:
"Days before China started to celebrate the 70th anniversary of its people’s republic, communist leaders issued a policy declaration entitled “China and the World in the New Era” which hailed “a development path with Chinese characteristics.”
Reporting on the document’s release on September 27, the state-run Global Times newspaper opined that “China has grown into a giant” that has taken aim at “Western logic – that a country is destined to seek hegemony after becoming strong.”
That, according to the Global Times, “does not apply to China” and its strictly peaceful, not confrontational, rise. China is only interested in global development and “win-win cooperation”, the paper asserted.
While no one would dispute that China’s people’s republic has emerged into an economic and political superpower on its 70th anniversary, the paper’s other conclusions are not generally shared by rival powers..."
Source/publisher:
"Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
Date of publication:
2019-10-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-19
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, European Union-Burma relations (commentary/analysis), China-Burma-US relations, Japan-Burma relations
Language:
more
Sub-title:
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), seen most visibly in Myanmar through a proposed “economic corridor” between the two countries, requires government and media scrutiny and regulations to ensure projects are done in a socially and environmentally res
Description:
"Transnational Institute, an Amsterdam-based think-tank focused on building a just, democratic and sustainable planet, released a briefing paper this month on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the Myanmar context.
The paper examines four major infrastructure projects in Myanmar: the interconnection of Myanmar and Chinese electricity grids; a proposed railway from Kunming to Kyaukphyu; a land and waterway passage between the two countries, and industrial hubs.
“These cases highlight a lack of transparency and meaningful consultation, as well as the questionable financial viability and potentially harmful social, economic and environmental impacts of such projects,” the research paper stated.
Stephanie Olinga-Shannon, the paper’s author, said the BRI is a “branding exercise” for activities to address the crisis in Chinese capitalism. In contrast to the pervasive perception of the initiative as a predetermined grand strategy led by Beijing, the scheme in practise consists of a wide range of business- and provincial government-driven projects..."
Source/publisher:
"Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2019-11-15
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-18
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"Dozens of newly built villas line a street as concrete skeletons of what may become hotels or casinos stand half-finished nearby. A new paved roadway allows access to more than a dozen boxy two-story buildings still under construction opposite plots of cleared land streaked with muddy tire tracks.
Farther along the road, about 30 warehouse-type buildings with blue roofs stand at attention beside a river, while in the distance villagers’ small homes dot lush green fields.
The Chinese-backed U.S. $15 billion real estate mega-project along the Thaungyin River in southeastern Myanmar’s Kayin state has been dubbed Shwe Kokko “Chinatown” by locals. It sits about 12 miles away from the state capital Myawaddy, and a 10-minute drive to the Thai town of Mae Sot.
Shwe Kokko is the latest manifestation of China’s growing presence in the Southeast Asian country through its Belt and Road Initiative to connect the country with the rest of the region and beyond. And it's moving ahead at full throttle despite heavy criticism from ethnic Karen locals who object to what they see as Chinese encroachment upon their land, livelihoods, and culture..."
Source/publisher:
"Radio Free Asia (RFA)" (USA)
Date of publication:
2019-11-13
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-14
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Chinese investment, Economy of Karen (Kayin) State, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Topic:
Oil, Gas, Special Economic Zone, Belt and Road Initiative, Kyaukphyu, Rakhine state, Rohingya, Myanmar, China
Topic:
Oil, Gas, Special Economic Zone, Belt and Road Initiative, Kyaukphyu, Rakhine state, Rohingya, Myanmar, China
Description:
"Aung Gyi is forced to fish covertly under the shroud of night in western Myanmar waters as China bids to transform the strategically key region into a shipping and industrial hub, squeezing out locals who fear being left behind in the gold rush.
Myanmar has declared Rakhine state, associated by many worldwide with the military’s 2017 bloody crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, open for business – but locals fear they are being left out of the gold rush as new rules restrict traditional practises.
Paddies and teak forests will be flattened for a colossal Beijing-backed factory zone and deep-sea port, which will serve as its neighbouring giant’s gateway to the Indian Ocean.
But the state’s promise for development comes with fishing restrictions – the waterways have been freed up for Chinese ships – a situation that has devastated local lives and livelihoods.
“I might be beaten or arrested” if caught fishing illegally, Aung Gyi says as he lays shrimp out to dry by his dilapidated shack in a small fishing hamlet near the town of Kyaukphyu.
“But I have no choice. Otherwise, my family would starve, the 28-year-old adds..."
Source/publisher:
"The ASEAN Post" (Malaysia)
Date of publication:
2019-11-14
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-14
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Other Special Economic Zones, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations, Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first)
Language:
more
Description:
"China is rebranding and repackaging dormant or delayed projects in Myanmar under the banner of its Belt and Road Initiative, many of whose projects lack transparency and consultation with affected communities, according to the latest policy brief by a Netherlands-based research and advocacy institute.
Stephanie Olinga-Shannon, a planning and evaluation coordinator for the Transitional Institute (TNI) who also researches Chinese foreign policy for the organization, said, “Rather than a ‘grand strategy’, the BRI is a broad and loosely governed framework of activities seeking to address a crisis in Chinese capitalism.”
“Almost any activities, implemented by any actor in any place can be included under the BRI framework and branded as a BRI project in Myanmar,” Olinga-Shannon said.
The BRI allows Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and provincial governments to promote their own projects to pursue profit and economic growth, she added..."
Source/publisher:
"The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
Date of publication:
2019-11-08
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-09
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Other Special Economic Zones, Burma's economic relations with China, Chinese investment, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"Southeast Asia is an important strategic partner in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The region serves as a key link in the BRI’s Maritime Silk Road, which aims to connect China’s coast to South Asia, the Middle East and Europe through the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. But criticisms of the BRI highlight some of the risks of participation. Southeast Asian countries should address these risks by persuading China to adopt multilateral rules that broaden participation in the BRI, including by leveraging ASEAN’s potential role. According to a 2018 study by Oxford Economics and the CIMB ASEAN Research Institute, BRI projects in ASEAN countries amount to more than US$739 billion. Indonesia is home to the highest BRI investment total amounting to US$171 billion, followed by Vietnam (US$152 billion), Cambodia (US$104 billion), Malaysia (US$98.5 billion), Singapore (US$70.1 billion), Laos (US$48 billion), Brunei (US$36 billion), Myanmar (US$27.2 billion), Thailand (US$24 billion) and the Philippines (US$9.4 billion).
In April 2019, China hosted the second Belt and Road Forum which was attended by 37 heads of state, government and international organisations. During the Forum, President Xi Jinping said the BRI will adopt multilateral rules and international best practices in implementing the projects.
Xi’s apparent willingness to multilateralise the BRI is necessary to prevent projects in Southeast Asia from being exposed to operational risks, policy risks and project cancellations and to address criticisms of its lack of transparency and inclusivity..."
Source/publisher:
"East Asia Forum" (Australia)
Date of publication:
2019-07-13
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-07
Copyright holder:
https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2019/07/13/making-the-belt-and-road-work-for-southeast-asia/
Licence/Permission:
html
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Burma's economic relations with ASEAN, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, ASEAN-Burma relations
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
40.17 KB (4 pages)
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Description:
"As BRI is now enshrined in the Communist Party Charter as Xi’s signature foreign policy initiative, a failure could undermine the legitimacy of the party itself. After spending billions of dollars abroad, failure could lead to a challenge of Xi’s authority.
By Anu Anwar*
Originally announced by Chairman Xi Jinping in 2013 as the One Belt One Road initiative (一带一路 ), which is still the name used in China and in the Chinese language, China simplified the English translation of this project to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). While OBOR implied two routes, a maritime road through the Indian Ocean and a land belt across central Asia, in reality, there are multiple and growing interconnected global networks. In addition, the name BRI tries to counter the critical narrative that both routes go only to Beijing.
The BRI aims to bolster China’s connectivity with the world. It combines old and new projects, covers an extended geographic region, and includes efforts to strengthen hard and soft infrastructure development, investment, and cultural ties. At present, the initiative extends to 138 countries with a combined gross domestic product of US$23 trillion and includes some 4.4 billion people..."
Source/publisher:
"Eurasia Review"
Date of publication:
2019-10-31
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-03
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
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Description:
"MYANMAR would need to take a strong governmental role is to accelerate the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) as it becomes an active part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), following the suspension of a controversial hydropower dam venture in 2011, an senior Burmese economist has suggested.
Dr U Myint, formerly chief economic adviser to former Burmese leader Thein Sein, said the previous and present Myanmar governments have taken different approaches to engaging China over large-scale infrastructure projects.
"This apparently inconsistent policy has the potential to cause confusion and anxiety among the Myanmar public and implementing officials, who are usually not included in or consulted on decisions related to investment or infrastructure projects. Past experiences in dealing with China may also cause skepticism on the part of both the public and bureaucrats," Dr U Myint wrote in a guest publication for Singapore's ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute published Tuesday..."
Source/publisher:
"The Business Times" (Singapore)
Date of publication:
2019-10-29
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-30
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Other Special Economic Zones, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"Myanmar’s State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi returned this week from a visit to China with a grant of 1 billion yuan (U.S. $148 million) for development projects, while her spokesman said a controversial Chinese dam project on the Irrawaddy River was not on the agenda.
The grant, which was agreed when she attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation last week in Beijing, would be used for projects to improve people’s livelihoods, studies for major projects and humanitarian assistance for people displaced by civil war in northern Myanmar, Myanmar's Foreign Ministry said.
The two countries signed Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation; a Memorandum of Understanding on the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) Cooperation Plan; and a MoU on a Five-year Development Program for Economic and Trade Cooperation, the ministry said..."
Source/publisher:
"Radio Free Asia (RFA)" (USA)
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, China-Burma relations, Burma's economic relations with China
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Cooperation urged at forum to ensure high-quality development
Description:
"In April 2019, the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was held in Beijing, launching a new journey of the joint construction of the Belt and Road with high quality. In the keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the forum, President Xi Jinping pointed out that we should work together for high-quality development of the Belt and Road cooperation, fully implement the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, pursue open, green and clean cooperation, and follow a high-standard, people-oriented and sustainable approach. The connotation of high-quality development of Belt and Road cooperation was clarified. During the forum, relevant departments also released or launched the Debt Sustainability Framework for participating countries of the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing Initiative for the Clean Silk Road, Cooperation Initiative on Silk Road of Innovation and Green Investment Principles. Background of the high-quality belt and road construction
For some time now, some countries in Europe and the United States have questioned and made accusations against the Belt and Road Initiative.
First, the questions are about “best practices” or international rules. Some European and American countries believe that the Belt and Road Initiative does not comply with “internationally accepted rules”, including “transparency”, “environmental social security” and “debt sustainability”; fails to perform “free trade” or “fair competition”; undermines the ecological environment; disrespects the legitimate rights and interests of workers in the host country; and increases the debt burden of the host country..."
Source/publisher:
"Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
Date of publication:
2019-08-19
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with the region, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, in Beijing this week for the Belt and Road Forum, finds herself in a much weaker negotiating position than on her last visit to China in 2017.
Description:
"With Myanmar’s diplomatic isolation, stalled peace process and lacklustre economy, Daw Suu has far fewer cards in her hands. Beijing is Myanmar’s key “defender” in the United Nations at a time when the government’s handling of the Rakhine crisis and the recent jailing of two Reuters journalists have eroded its standing in the international community. China currently also accounts for a quarter of all approved foreign investments in the country.
In Beijing, the State Counsellor is expected to discuss the highly controversial Myitsone dam project with her Chinese counterparts. The US$3.6 billion, 6000MW dam, backed by China’s State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), was suspended by then-President U Thein Sein in 2011, owing to widespread domestic opposition. Recent developments suggest Daw Suu is under pressure from the Chinese to resuscitate the dam. As I’ve argued, resumption would place her National League for Democracy party at risk in next year’s General Election. Just this week, thousands of people in Kachin’s Waingmaw township protested against Myitsone.
In Bago Region recently, Daw Suu told local residents to think about the project from “a wider perspective.” She should explain what she meant by that, and say what other factors are taken into account.
For starters, transparency is essential. For example, officials of SPIC have been urging the Myanmar government to publicly disclose details of the Myitsone contract since June 2016. And this is not the only enterprise which needs to come clean..."
Source/publisher:
"Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2019-04-26
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Assessment of hydropower projects in Burma/Myanmar, Dams and other hydropower projects (global, regional), Dams and other projects on the Irrawaddy and its tributories, “One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
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Description:
"Amid growing public concern about Chinese-backed development projects in Myanmar, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will leave for Beijing late this month to attend the second Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) summit. During her meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping there, she is quite likely to discuss the Myitsone Dam, the most controversial Chinese project in the country so far. As well the Myitsone dam, another important China-backed development project is now underway on the shore of Bay of Bengal in Myanmar’s western state of Rakhine. Prior to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s visit to China, The Irrawaddy talks to Bertil Linter, a Swedish journalist and author who has been covering Myanmar and Southeast Asia for nearly four decades, on China’s major involvement—from development projects to the peace process—in the country.
The momentum to cancel the Myitsone dam is building in Myanmar. This coincides with State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s upcoming visit to China where she will attend the second BRI summit. She has been very vague about her stance on the dam and some articles written by the NLD (National League for Democracy) party members have been indicating that the dam should get the go-ahead. Government leaders are suggesting the dam is downsized or relocated. Moreover, several projects which the current government has agreed to implement with China have not been disclosed to the public. What is your opinion on this?
I believe Daw Aung San Suu Kyi must be aware of the fact that it would be political suicide to agree on a resumption of the Myitsone project. With elections coming up next year, any Myanmar politician would have to think carefully before agreeing to such a controversial, and hugely unpopular, project like this one. We all remember how much she was against it when she was in opposition. Why does she appear to have softened her stance on the matter? That’s a question that should be posed to her..."
Source/publisher:
"The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
Date of publication:
2019-04-08
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Assessment of hydropower projects in Burma/Myanmar, Dams and other projects on the Irrawaddy and its tributories, Dams and other hydropower projects (global, regional), “One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Sub-title:
A centralized source for BRI information would be welcome, but BRNN may blur the line between data and party-state talking points.
Description:
"In April, China quietly launched a new media group: The Belt and Road News Network (BRNN). The BRNN’s mission is to boost “understanding, friendship and cooperation, and form a normalized mechanism for collaboration,” across the participating countries and regions of China’s multi-billion dollar connectivity project. Concepts of dialogue, the exchange of ideas, information, and products, and innovation feature prominently in BRNN materials.
The BRNN is likely an outgrowth of ideas posited by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the first Belt and Road Forum in 2017. In the concluding portions of his address that year, Xi said “We will also develop a network for cooperation among the NGOs in countries along the Belt and Road as well as new people-to-people exchange platforms such as a Belt and Road news alliance and a music education alliance.”Two years on, the platform is headquartered in Beijing and chaired by the People’s Daily, China’s largest newspaper group and the official outlet of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. According to the network’s charter, the BRNN’s council consists of 14 members from China and 26 others from Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Eurasia (Bangladesh, Belarus, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Mexico, Mongolia, Myanmar, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Tanzania, U.A.E, U.K. and Zambia)..."
Source/publisher:
"The Diplomat" (Japan)
Date of publication:
2019-10-02
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-27
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
more
Sub-title:
In the best-case scenario, Myanmar would be rich like the East and democratic like the West.
Description:
"Global media coverage has not been easy on Myanmar. The refugee crisis in northwestern Rakhine sparked a firestorm of international criticism that has only been intensified by allegations of ethnic cleansing. A barrage of punitive actions followed, though most were targeted at the Tatmadaw, the Myanmar military, and have not yet resulted in drastic, direct impact on the population at large. Still, serious contemplation was given to imposing broader economic restrictions, in particular the withdrawal of general scheme of preferences benefits by the European Union (EU).
Myanmar’s tarnished images also brought about a decline in tourist arrivals, notably from Western countries. Foreign investors, fearing economic sanctions and reputational risk, have hesitated to bring in more capital. Coupled with public dissatisfaction over the pace of economic reforms and a period of exchange rate volatility, the country’s growth forecast has decreased to 6.2 percent in the 2018/2019 fiscal year, from the 6.8 percent growth experienced in the 2017/2018 fiscal year..."
Source/publisher:
"The Diplomat" (Japan)
Date of publication:
2019-10-22
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Politics and Government - global and regional - general studies, strategies, theory, Burma/Myanmar's Foreign relations, general, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, “One Belt, One Road” initiative
Language:
more
Description:
"For An Xingjie, each morning is a race against time.
The 32-year-old and his employees have to sort, pack and distribute fresh crabs straight from the Indian Ocean to Chinese cities before noon.
A native of Ruili, China's southwestern border city with Myanmar, An has witnessed the fast growth of the seafood business between the two nations.
Booming China-Myanmar trade
He started his own business about seven years ago, purchasing the crustacean catches from Burmese fishermen and then selling them to restaurants across China.
“When I got into this industry, I remember I only had five employees. Now, I have more than 20 people working for me,” An told CGTN.Many of the mostly Burmese workers at the seafood market in the Chinese border town of Wanding have also seen the changes.
“I have worked here for seven years. It's obvious that the market is getting increasingly busy as more and more people are joining in the business,” said Mg Pya Toe.
Data from the Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau of Ruili shows that the seafood imported in 2017 reached 26,000 tons, a year-on-year growth of 106 percent..."
Source/publisher:
CGTN (China)
Date of publication:
2019-04-19
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Sub-title:
The naming of the bilateral projects with Nepal coincided with Beijing dropping the BCIM or the Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar Corridor from the BRI projects’ list.
Description:
"China is shoring-up its connectivity projects with Nepal and Myanmar, including a trans-Himalayan network, a cross-border railway venture and an economic corridor under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The Nepal-China Trans-Himalayan Multi-dimensional Connectivity Network, including the Nepal-China cross-border railway, have been named under the list of projects under the BRI.
The naming of the bilateral projects with Nepal coincided with Beijing dropping the BCIM or the Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar Corridor from the BRI projects’ list.
Instead, China has now named the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor under the BRI, an indication that Beijing will go ahead with infrastructure projects in south Asia bilaterally. Simultaneously, visiting Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bhandari said in Beijing that the BRI is offering new opportunities for Nepal and she hopes Chinese investors and enterprises can invest more in Nepal..."
Source/publisher:
"Hindustan Times " (India)
Date of publication:
2019-04-29
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Chinese investment, Other Special Economic Zones, Burma/Myanmar's Foreign relations, general
Language:
more
Sub-title:
China’s new infrastructure corridor through Myanmar crosses war-torn regions, risking further conflict and environmental degradation
Description:
"A year ago, Myanmar and China signed an agreement to establish the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC), as part of China’s Belt and Road global infrastructure initiative. Today, that corridor is mired in conflict between the Myanmar military and ethnic armed groups.
Stretching 1,700km, the CMEC’s network of new railways, trade zones and other major infrastructure projects is meant to mesh the comparatively impoverished economy of Myanmar with its wealthier neighbour’s landlocked southern province of Yunnan. However, ongoing armed conflict and lingering resentment against Chinese investments mean the future of the CMEC is uncertain.
Since its transition to semi-civilian rule in 2011, Myanmar has proven to be more cautious with Chinese investments than other developing countries. In August 2018, Myanmar officials negotiated an 80% cost reduction to the proposed Kyaukphyu deep-sea port, trimming the project from over US$7 billion to US$1.3 billion, Reuters reported. The Myanmar side, led by deputy finance minister Set Aung, baulked at the risk of an excessive debt burden..."
Source/publisher:
"Chinadialogue" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-10-21
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Other Special Economic Zones, Chinese investment, Border Trade with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Topic:
BRI, China, Conflict, EAOs, mediation, mediator, Military, Negotiations, Northern Alliance, Peace Process, Peace talks, pipeline, Resources, Tatmadaw, Weapons
Topic:
BRI, China, Conflict, EAOs, mediation, mediator, Military, Negotiations, Northern Alliance, Peace Process, Peace talks, pipeline, Resources, Tatmadaw, Weapons
Description:
"China has been vying to lead the region, if not the world, economically and politically since President Xi Jinping took power. As Xi’s power has grown, China has sought to expand its leadership role across the region and beyond through economic expansion, political influence and military modernization.
On the economic front, China has initiated the far-flung and ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which will be instrumental in expanding its investment and power projection in many countries.
Myanmar occupies a strategically important geographical position for the BRI projects, through which China seeks to build links to the Indian Ocean, then to the Middle East and Africa. Myanmar’s political instability and civil war, however, are major barriers to the BRI. Particularly, fighting in northern Shan State, where many of the BRI projects are to be implemented, is disrupting the scheme’s implementation..."
Source/publisher:
"The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
Date of publication:
2019-09-27
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-16
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies), “One Belt, One Road” initiative, Armed conflict in Shan State - ceasefires and ceasefire talks, Non-Ceasefire Groups, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Topic:
China, international relations, foreign investment, conflict, Belt and Road Initiative, China Myanmar Economic Corridor, Sun Guoxiang, ethnic issues, development
Sub-title:
Recurring conflict and military stalemate in northern Myanmar have prompted China to embark on a bold experiment – one with implications that Nay Pyi Taw might not yet even comprehend.
Topic:
China, international relations, foreign investment, conflict, Belt and Road Initiative, China Myanmar Economic Corridor, Sun Guoxiang, ethnic issues, development
Description:
"WHEN VIEWING the domestic conflicts of a sovereign nation, China sees development and stability as two mutually reinforcing concepts. Instead of focusing on the fair and just distribution of political and economic rights, China prioritises making the economic pie larger so that everyone gets a bigger share.
This approach reflects China’s own experiences in strengthening political stability through economic development. Enhanced economic performance validates the legitimacy of the state and improves stability, which in turn creates conditions for further economic development.
This development-oriented approach towards conflict resolution has resulted in northern Myanmar’s conflicts becoming intrinsic components of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative,
The rationale
China has been formally involved in the mediation of ethnic conflicts in northern Myanmar since early 2013, when it established the office of Special Envoy for Asian Affairs. Six years of mediation in Myanmar – during which there has been no agreement over the mechanisms and structure of the peace process, or the distribution of political and economic power in the ethnic states – has shepherded the Chinese to a few key conclusions.
First, the complicated history and the fundamental lack of trust between the Bamar-dominated central government and ethnic minorities means it is not feasible to open negotiations on the most difficult issues, particularly power distribution. In this climate of mistrust and hostility, it is unrealistic to expect elites on both sides to make the concessions necessary for a peace deal..."
Source/publisher:
"Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2019-10-15
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-15
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Chinese investment, China-Burma relations, Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies)
Language:
more
Description:
"Residents of central Myanmar's Mandalay region said Thursday that they are increasingly fearful of forced property confiscation lost farmland in areas slated for the construction of a high-speed railway running from Kunming in southwestern China to their city under the massive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), RFA reported.
Two state-owned companies — Myanmar Railways and China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co. Ltd. — signed a memorandum of understanding a year ago to conduct a feasibility study for the Muse-Mandalay line, a key part of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) under the BRI that is expected to boost trade between the two countries.
The CMEC entails a central road and rail transport infrastructure from southwestern China’s Yunnan province through Muse and Mandalay to the town of Khaukphyu in western Myanmar's Rakhine state, where a major seaport and special economic zone are scheduled for construction..."
Source/publisher:
"Mizzima" (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2019-10-11
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-13
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Other Special Economic Zones, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"Residents of central Myanmar's Mandalay region said Thursday that they are increasingly fearful of forced property and farmland confiscations in areas slated for the construction of a high-speed railway running from Kunming in southwestern China to their city under the massive Belt and Road Initiative.
Two state-owned companies — Myanmar Railways and China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co. Ltd. — signed a memorandum of understanding a year ago to conduct a feasibility study for a stretch of longer railway from Mandalay to Muse in Myanmar's northern Shan state. The overall project is a key part of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) under the BRI, and is expected to boost trade between the two countries.
The CMEC entails a central road and rail transport infrastructure from southwestern China’s Yunnan province through Muse and Mandalay to the town of Khaukphyu in western Myanmar's Rakhine state, where a major seaport and special economic zone are slated for construction.
Area villagers who attended a public forum on an environmental assessment of railway project in Mandalay’s Patheingyi township voiced concerns over losing their homes and farmland to the rail line to be built by both China and Myanmar..."
Source/publisher:
"Radio Free Asia (RFA)" (USA)
Date of publication:
2019-10-10
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Tenure insecurity in Burma (including land grabbing), Land research including land grabbing - global and regional, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Topic:
Belt and Road initiative, BRI, China, China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, CMEC, debt trap, economic zone, Human Rights, Kachin State, land grabs, Myitkyina, Myitkyina Economic Development Zone, neo-colonialism, property rights, Yunnan Tengchong Heng Yong Investment Company
Topic:
Belt and Road initiative, BRI, China, China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, CMEC, debt trap, economic zone, Human Rights, Kachin State, land grabs, Myitkyina, Myitkyina Economic Development Zone, neo-colonialism, property rights, Yunnan Tengchong Heng Yong Investment Company
Description:
"The Kachin State government is planning to sign an agreement next month on the establishment of a China-backed economic zone, paving the way for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project.
Under the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) agreement, which is also a part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s grand BRI vision, Kachin State signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Yunnan Tengchong Heng Yong Investment Company (YTHIC) in May 2018 for implementation of the Myitkyina Economic Development Zone.
The project, also known as the Namjim Industrial Zone, is 25 km from Myitkyina, the Kachin capital.
“We are expected to sign an agreement next month,” the Kachin State chief minister, Dr. Khet Aung, told The Irrawaddy.
“Currently, we are finalizing detailed negotiations and a full master plan from the Chinese company.”
YTHIC and the Myitkyina zone committee, formed by the Kachin State government, are expected to build the massive site on approximately 19 sq. km along the historic Ledo Road.
The road was built during World War II so the Allies could supply Chinese troops fighting the Japanese. It linked Ledo, in Indian Assam, and Kunming in China’s Yunnan Province..."
Source/publisher:
"The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
Date of publication:
2019-10-07
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-09
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Other Special Economic Zones, Economy of Kachin State, Chinese investment, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"Myanmar is set to build one more bridge to link Ayeyarwady region with Rakhine state beginning November, according to the Ministry of Construction on Monday.
The Chaungwa Bridge lying along the Rakhine coast will be the third to be built in addition to the two under construction which are Makyizin and Pathein No. 2.
The Chaungwa Bridge, which passes through Ngaputaw township of Ayeyarwady region and link Gwa township of Rakhine state, will be built at a cost of 3.6 billion kyats (2.4 million U.S. dollars), said project manager-in-charge Daw Thin Thin Aung.
The iron reinforced bridge of 259 meters in length and 7.2 meters in width, which can withstand 60 tons of load, would benefit the transport in the two regions.
Upon completion, the bridge would speed up the flow of trade between the two regions and help develop socio-economic status, she added.
Rakhine state is uniquely located to support the emergence of economic and industrial zones with its range of pristine beaches and cultural heritage sites..."
Source/publisher:
"Xinhua" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-10-07
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-07
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Irrawaddy Division, Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first)
Language:
more
Topic:
Belt and Road
Sub-title:
Ethnic strife and national pride halt Beijing-championed infrastructure projects
Topic:
Belt and Road
Description:
"A recent decision by the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, not to extend a cease-fire aimed at ethnic armed organizations excluded from a nationwide peace agreement puts the country's Belt and Road projects in further limbo.
Multiple projects have already been halted, including the key Myitsone dam hydropower project in in Myanmar's northernmost state of Kachin. But ethnic strife is not to blame. Rather, the dam has run up against nationwide opposition and an International Finance Corp. report strongly advising against damming the upper reaches of Myanmar's major rivers.
Meanwhile, work on a feasibility study for another project has been suspended as a result of the renewed hostilities. Tatmadaw forces in late September assaulted a Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army base in Kutkai, squarely in the middle of the proposed route for the China-led Muse-Lashio-Mandalay rail project in northern Shan state.
One day after fighting recommenced, a Myanma Railways spokesman announced the suspension, blaming the instability.
The attacks signal the failure of Chinese attempts to broker peace between Myanmar's vigorously independent military and a group of armed organizations known as The Northern Alliance..."
Source/publisher:
"Asia Nikkei Review" (Japan)
Date of publication:
2019-10-06
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-07
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies), Armed conflict in Shan State - ceasefires and ceasefire talks, Non-Ceasefire Groups, Burma's economic relations with China, Other Special Economic Zones, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Sub-title:
The 16th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit that took place in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, last month signifies advances in China’s Belt and Road Intiative, observers say.
Description:
"The theme for this year’s event, which has been held since 2013, was “Building the Belt and Road, Realising Our Vision for a Community with a Shared Future”.
“China wants to join hands with ASEAN for cooperation, construction, mutual benefits, building, trade facilitation and people-to-people understanding. We want to cooperate in infrastructure upgrading too. We are trying to have closer China-ASEAN relationships,” said Chinese Vice Premier and a member of the standing committee of the political Bureau of the Communist of China (CPC) Central Committee Han Zheng in his opening speech at the event.
China will start construction work for Belt and Road Initiative in 2021. The project, a global development strategy adopted by the Chinese government involving infrastructure development and investments in 152 countries and international organisations in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas, was proposed by China’s President Xi Jinping in 2013, and has so far garnered the supports of 152 countries. The main goal for the project is for China to promote trade and economic cooperation between the countries of the world by forming an economic corridor stretching from east to west.
During held Belt One Road Forum in Beijing in April, leaders from more than 30 countries signed BRI cooperation agreements. Representatives from more than 150 countries and 90 international organisations also signed more than 280 agreements valued at more than US$64 billion in connection with the initiative..."
Source/publisher:
"Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2019-10-04
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description:
"Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Myanmar’s State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held from April 25 to 27 in Beijing.
Noting the profound “Paukphaw” (fraternal) friendship between China and Myanmar, Xi said China is willing to carry forward the traditional friendship of the two sides, increase mutually beneficial cooperation and push forward bilateral relations constantly.
In light of the celebrations next year that will mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Myanmar diplomatic relationship, the two sides should actively conduct interactions at all levels and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and focus their pragmatic cooperation more on areas related to people’s livelihood, so as to continuously consolidate public support for bilateral friendship, Xi said. China supports Myanmar in developing its economy and improving people’s livelihood, and appreciates the efforts of Myanmar’s government to advance domestic peace and reconciliation, Xi said..."
Source/publisher:
"Belt & Road News" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-04-25
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-01
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"After visiting China, this minister from Myanmar was impressed by China's poverty reduction efforts. He thought China's Belt and Road Initiative could unite all the countries..."
Source/publisher:
" China Matters" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-09-29
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-30
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative
Language:
more
Description:
"China sees a “very good solution” to the ongoing Rohingya crisis in the process of implementing the BCIM (Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar) Economic Corridor stressing that its “real solution” lies in development.
“China pays very close attention to Rohingya issue. We also hope that in the process of implementing the BCIM Economic Corridor, we can come up with very good solution to the problem,” said Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Zhang Zuo at a briefing at Westin Hotel here on Wednesday evening.
Bangladesh has been “actively promoting” the BCIM Economic Corridor, a key BRI project connecting China with South Asia and the resourceful Indian Ocean.
Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun recently said Bangladesh is centrally situated along the BCIM Economic Corridor and expected to be hugely benefited from the enhanced connectivity..."
Source/publisher:
"Belt & Road News" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-05-10
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first), Discrimination against the Rohingya, “One Belt, One Road” initiative, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"China extended to Myanmar 7.378 million U.S. dollars’ Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund for the second batch on Wednesday for use in management of projects under the fund.
The agreement on the provision was signed in Nay Pyi Taw between Chinese Ambassador Hong Liang and Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented by Permanent Secretary U Myint Thu.
The special fund is to be applied by eight Myanmar ministries to implement 19 projects.
Hong Liang said the LMC is a project emerging rapidly in a short duration and is also an effective cooperation in the region..."
Source/publisher:
"Belt & Road News" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-01-25
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Economy and social justice (global), Burma/Myanmar's Foreign relations, general
Language:
more
Description:
"Myanmar Railways has been variously criticised for its low efficiency and increasing costs. Solutions are needed. Since the country’s independence, the British colonial era Meter Gauge Rail System has not been modernised much.
Antiquated semaphore signals and manual blocking systems are still broadly in service, suggesting both the limited capacity of lines, and the poor maintenance of tracks. Rolling stock operates at significantly reduced speed, only 40km/hr on average. It takes trains about 15 hours to complete the 620 km journey between Naypyidaw and Yangon, much slower than buses, which make the trip in eight to ten hours.
Unsurprisingly, then, MR’s share of land transport in Myanmar has been dropping in the last three decades and the company faces rising deficits. Naypyidaw is aware of the challenge, but it has the same dilemma other Southeast Asian countries face: whether to upgrade the existing meter gauge system for practicality’s sake, or to establish an entirely new standard gauge system for higher speed connection with China. Based on Myanmar’s financial capacity, upgrading the existing system is already a difficult ask, not to mention building an entirely new rail network..."
Source/publisher:
"Belt & Road News" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-02-15
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Burma's economic relations with Japan, China-Burma relations, Japan-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"Myanmar Railways has been variously criticised for its low efficiency and increasing costs. Solutions are needed. Since the country’s independence, the British colonial era Meter Gauge Rail System has not been modernised much.
Antiquated semaphore signals and manual blocking systems are still broadly in service, suggesting both the limited capacity of lines, and the poor maintenance of tracks. Rolling stock operates at significantly reduced speed, only 40km/hr on average. It takes trains about 15 hours to complete the 620 km journey between Naypyidaw and Yangon, much slower than buses, which make the trip in eight to ten hours.
Unsurprisingly, then, MR’s share of land transport in Myanmar has been dropping in the last three decades and the company faces rising deficits. Naypyidaw is aware of the challenge, but it has the same dilemma other Southeast Asian countries face: whether to upgrade the existing meter gauge system for practicality’s sake, or to establish an entirely new standard gauge system for higher speed connection with China. Based on Myanmar’s financial capacity, upgrading the existing system is already a difficult ask, not to mention building an entirely new rail network..."
Source/publisher:
"Belt & Road News" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-02-15
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Burma's economic relations with Japan, China-Burma relations, Japan-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"With tinted windows and their militia name emblazoned on the side of their Ford truck, “Pan Say” fighters cruise the sleazy streets of Muse, Myanmar’s main gateway to China and awash with weapons and cash from casinos, drugs and sex. Ten armed groups run the Shan State border town of Muse, which is separated by a shallow river from the gleaming towers of its Chinese counterpart, Ruili.
All are under the tutelage of the same patron: Myanmar’s Army. China and Myanmar have an agreement not to station troops along their border. Instead, Myanmar’s Army uses the militias as proxies in a long running conflict between the Central State and Ethnic Rebel Groups who operate in the area, including the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Taaung National Liberation Army (TNLA).
A fiendishly complicated, decades-old struggle for money, trade, resources and ethnic identity is playing out in Muse. The Pan Say militia gave AFP a rare snapshot of the shifting alliances and rivalries which have defined Myanmar’s frontier areas since its independence in 1948.
Each militia “looks after its own business and we look after ours”, a senior Pan Say member told AFP as a batch of 30 fresh recruits dressed in fatigues trained in a compound.
They have joined one of Muse’s largest militias, which boasts several hundred men, armed with M-16 rifles and Kalashnikovs. Pan Say insists it is funded by its own Jade Mines, Cigarette Factories & Karaoke Bars, denying knowledge of narcotics or other illegal activities that prosper along the border. Like other Muse militias, Pan Say accepted a deal in 2009 to come under the military’s control in exchange for a degree of autonomy..."
Source/publisher:
"Belt & Road News" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-02-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, Drug economy, Illegal Economy - general, Border Trade with China, Burma's economic relations with China
Language:
more
Description:
"Myanmar is prioritising nine sectors covering infrastructure projects under the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor although more specific details as to which of the projects have been chosen remain under wraps.
These sectors, part of the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan, include electricity, road, bridge, telecommunication, basic construction, agriculture, transportation, research and technology.
Union of Myanmar Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) deputy chair U Thein Han said that the nine prioritized sectors involve partnerships between Myanmar and Chinese firms.
He was among a group of Myanmar private sector representatives who had followed government officials led by Minister for Planning and Finance U Soe Win to the second joint committee forum of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor held in Kunming, China in late February.
It has been learnt that a number of agreements “is likely” to be inked in April when the State Counselor attends a state-level conference in Beijing related to the Belt and Road Initiative.
“Many companies want to enter the market and we will connect them with the capable companies here depending on the company size. We have plans to connect companies of various sizes,” U Thein Han said..."
Source/publisher:
"Belt & Road News" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-03-09
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Other Special Economic Zones, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"Recently, there has been a marked escalation in the Chinese Government’s attempts at reviving the controversial Myitsone Dam Project. Since a tense meeting by the Chinese Embassy with Kachin leaders, the actions of both the Chinese and Myanmar governments have only heightened fears that the mammoth US$3.6-billion, 6,000 MW Dam will be pushed forward, risking the livelihoods of thousands of people and endangering crucial biodiversity.
The NLD government’s rhetoric over the project has been, at best, feeble. Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations U Thaung Tun stated that, while public anxiety should be respected, the project should continue as companies have already heavily invested in it.
His remark echoed a comment by State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (who had been an ardent critic of the dam in 2011) in Kalay the previous week in which she called for deals made under the previous government to be respected. According to U Thaung Tun, alternative areas have been explored. So far, however, these areas have not been outlined to the public, which only serves to fuel speculation.
Respect for public anxiety: What, in practice, has that entailed so far? As of this moment, this respect has taken the form of hollow reassurances that match up little with actions on the ground. The most notable example of this was the recent dismissal of three ministers in Kachin State. The said ministers U H Hla Aung, U Mya Thein and U Thin Lwin were each responsible for key areas that would have been impacted by the Myitsone project..."
Source/publisher:
"Belt & Road News" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-02-02
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Dams and other projects on the Irrawaddy and its tributories, “One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Sub-title:
The governments of China and Myanmar are negotiating to draw up a five-year plan on economic and trade cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, a global development strategy adopted by the Chinese government involving infrastructure development and
Description:
"Negotiations to draw up the plan were held in Nay Pyi Taw on Monday, the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations announced.
The idea for the plan was first put forward during the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing in April. The forum in April was attended by State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
Myanmar’s delegation for the negotiation was led by U Aung Naing, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Relations, while China’s team was headed by Mr Wang Shengwen, director general of China’s Department of Outward Investment and Economic Cooperation.
Some 70 representatives from relevant ministries and organisations from both countries were also present for the talks..."
Source/publisher:
"Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2019-09-27
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-27
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Chinese investment, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"MUCH HAS been said and written about the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor since it was formally proposed by China in November 2017 as part of its global Belt and Road Initiative. Despite gaining significant international attention – and generating some uneasiness within Myanmar – the actual approval and implementation of CMEC projects has been incremental, and at a speed far less impressive than the narrative. As a result of friction between China’s massive ambition and Myanmar’s moderate capability, the CMEC is unlikely to end up looking the way many people imagine.
The CMEC is the second economic corridor China has embarked on with a single state under BRI, after the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and this reflects its strategic importance in Beijing’s plans. The basic design of CMEC is an upside-down “Y” shape that connects China’s Yunnan Province with Mandalay in central Myanmar, and then stretches southeast down to Yangon and southwest to Myanmar’s Rakhine State..."
Source/publisher:
"Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2019-09-26
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-27
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Chinese investment, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"China’s active diplomatic efforts in trying to resolve the “Rohingya” issue can facilitate a rapprochement between Myanmar and Bangladesh that strengthens their trilateral cooperation through the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) and secures a second corridor for Beijing to the Afro-Asian (“Indian”) Ocean complementing the one that it’s already pioneered through the global pivot state of Pakistan via CPEC.
Xinhua reported earlier this week that China, Myanmar, and Bangladesh held their third informal Foreign Minister meeting since last year on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and agreed to three points of consensus on the “Rohingya” issue that’s plagued bilateral relations between Beijing’s two Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) partners for the past two years already. The outlet described the outcome of their talks as resulting in “the strong political will and important political consensus of the three parties to realize the repatriation as soon as possible”; “unanimously agree[ing] to establish a China-Myanmar-Bangladesh Joint Working Group mechanism…to be responsible for the concrete implementation of repatriation-related work”; and that “development is the fundamental way to solve the Rakhine issue”. Interestingly, this is exactly what the author proposed in his September 2017 analysis about “The Rohingya Crisis: Conflict Scenarios And Reconciliation Proposals“.
China’s interest in the “Rohingya” issue stems from the lasting impact that it could have on the stability of Myanmar and Bangladesh if it’s not responsibly resolved, which could in turn jeopardize its investments in both of them and especially the viability of its planned China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) that will run parallel to its existing pipelines through the country to connect the Yunnan capital of Kunming with the port of Kyaukphyu. This corridor to the Afro-Asian (“Indian”) Ocean is expected to complement the existing one that China already pioneered through the global pivot state of Pakistan via BRI’s flagship project of CPEC and thus ensure the reliability of the Silk Road across the Eastern Hemisphere’s centrally positioned body of water by avoiding the increasingly militarized South China Sea and the US Navy-controlled choke point of the Strait of Malacca. As regards China’s interests in Bangladesh’s stability, the South Asian state is one of its closest regional partners and has already been the recipient of approximately $38 billion worth of investments..."
Source/publisher:
"Global Research"
Date of publication:
2019-09-26
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-27
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first)
Language:
more
Description:
"Myanmar’s former military junta inked the $3.6 billion deal for the hydropower project located on the Irrawaddy River in 2009, according to Reuters, with Myanmar’s military linked Asia World Co. and China’s State Owned utility company China Power Investment Corp. tasked with its construction.
Work on the dam was suspended in September 2011 by then Myanmar’s President Thein Sein after public protests. At the time, Aung San Suu Kyi, before she became the leader of the current quasi-civilian Government in Myanmar, was one of the voices of opposition. Suu Kyi once said the dam would threaten the flow of the Irrawaddy River, and force the relocation of more than 10,000 people from 63 nearby villages, according to Reuters.
But after Suu Kyi became head of the ruling National League for Democracy party and the effective prime minister of the country, Beijing began to exact pressure to resume the dam’s construction.
In June 2016, a delegation headed by China’s Ambassador to Myanmar travelled to Kachin to lobby for restarting the dam project, according to news magazine Frontier Myanmar.
Most recently, in November 2018, the magazine reported that the Chinese regime wanted the project to be packaged as part of its One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative, and conveyed the message that other OBOR projects in Myanmar’s wouldn’t proceed unless the dam is restarted..."
Source/publisher:
"Belt & Road News" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-04-25
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Assessment of hydropower projects in Burma/Myanmar, Dams and other hydropower projects (global, regional), Dams and other projects on the Irrawaddy and its tributories, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
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Description:
"“In order to facilitate investment, businesses need political stability. And in that sense, Mandalay is the perfect place to offer this condition,” Mandalay Chief Minister Zaw Myint Maung told an audience of European investors and businesses.
The European Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar (EuroCham) in collaboration with the Mandalay Region Chamber of Commerce (MRCCI) organised the forum “Business Climate in Upper Myanmar” on May 21.
Many European businesses see Mandalay’s location and access to Upper Myanmar as a key asset but raise concerns about the opaque bureaucracy and shortage of skilled labour.
“Mandalay is at the crossroads between big Asian players, like China and India, and [the city] could become a main trading and communications centre,” said Fabian Lorenz, attorney-at-law, Luther Law Firm Limited.
The availability of raw materials and labour in Mandalay offers a vast potential for development and investment, he added. This includes agriculture, food processing and manufacturing..."
Source/publisher:
"Belt & Road News" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-05-25
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, European investment, Burma/Myanmar's Foreign relations, general, International Relations
Language:
more
Description:
"Chinese President Xi Jinping and senior military leaders met with Myanmar’s commander-in-chief this week, as Senior General Min Aung Hlaing paid an official visit to Beijing. It was the fifth time Min Aung Hlaing has visited China since assuming his current post as the top leader of Myanmar’s military forces, the Tatmadaw. In Myanmar, where the military retains a constitutionally-mandated grip on political power despite holding elections in 2015, that makes Min Aung Hlaing a top political leader as well, and the topics of conversation during his China trip reflected that.
Min Aung Hlaing’s official host was Chief of the Joint Staff Department General Li Zuocheng, but he met with a variety of Chinese military officials, including Central Military Commission Vice Chair Xu Qiliang and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, on Tuesday and Wednesday. Min Aung Hlaing also met with Xi on Wednesday. At each of these meetings, both sides took care to praise the longstanding – “eternal” even – friendship between their countries and expressed hope for deepening cooperation still further in the future. “Myanmar regards China as an eternal friend and a strategic partner country,” Min Aung Hlaing said, according to a press release from the Tatmadaw..."
Source/publisher:
"The Diplomat" (Japan)
Date of publication:
2019-04-12
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Economic activities of the Myanmar Military, “One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"Myanmar has planned to launch the first phase of Yangon-Mandalay railroad upgrading project (Yangon-Toungoo) beginning Oct. 1, according to the Myanmar Railways (MR) Monday.
For the railroad upgrading project, the MR has suspended some of the runs including the mail train services between Yangon and Mandalay, said MR Manager U San Tha Aung. Train services will remain at the areas where double tracks are laid as trains will continue running on one while the other is under upgrading process.
However, some Yangon-Thazi, Yangon-Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon-Mawlamyine and Nay Pyi Taw-Mawlamyine train services have also been suspended, the manager added.
Upon completion in 2023, the traveling time between Yangon and Mandalay will take only six hours, according to the MR official..."
Source/publisher:
"Xinhua" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-09-23
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Urban development
Language:
more
Description:
"The construction of a new road and bridge near the existing Goke Hteik Railway viaduct in western Shan State will begin this year, the Ministry of Construction has announced.
The major infrastructure project along the Mandalay-Muse road, a significant border-trade route, is expected to significantly boost the transportation of goods between China and Myanmar once it is completed.
The Gote Twin section of the road between Nawngcho and Goke Hteik, along the Mandalay-Muse road, was built during colonial times and the rail bridge on the route is now over 100 years old.
The road is also narrow and has many curves and turns. Currently, trucks can take up to three hours to travel the Goke Twin stretch. During the rainy season, trucks can skid and cause traffic jams, said U Sai Kyaw, general secretary of Rice Merchants Association of Mandalay, adding that the stretch is one of the areas that see the highest number of accidents in western Shan State.
“Whenever an accident happens along the Gote Twin stretch, traffic congestion as long as six to 10 hours can occur, seriously delaying the flow of goods,” U Sai Kyaw said..."
Source/publisher:
"Belt & Road News" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-01-11
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-21
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Border Trade with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"An Ambitious China-backed railway project connecting two economic centers in Myanmar with Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province in southwestern China, will cost almost US$9 billion and final decisions on the specific details of the construction are expected to be made by the end of this year.
As a part of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC), which is itself part of Beijing’s grand infrastructure plan, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a feasibility study for the Muse-Mandalay standard-gauge railway has been carried out.
Last October, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by two state-owned companies, the China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group (CREEG) (formerly the China Railway Group Ltd.) and Myanmar Railways.
During the second Belt and Road Forum held in Beijing in late April, China handed over a feasibility report on the Muse-Mandalay Railway project to Myanmar’s Minister for Transport and Communications U Thant Sin Maung.
Myanmar Railways experts are currently scrutinising the Muse-Mandalay feasibility report and making serious decisions regarding routes, bridges, tunnels and the exact locations of stations.
The Managing Director of Myanmar Railways U Ba Myint said in a press conference in Naypyitaw on Monday that the construction of the railway will cost $8.9 billion according to the study..."
Source/publisher:
"Belt & Road News" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-05-15
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-21
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Border Trade with India, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"China will Provide a grant of 1 billion yuan (225.39 billion kyats, or approximately US$148 million) for socioeconomic development projects under an economic and technical cooperation agreement signed in Beijing last week.
Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release on Monday that the 1 billion yuan would be used to support socio-economic development, particularly projects to improve people’s livelihoods, feasibility studies for major projects and humanitarian assistance for IDPs in northern Myanmar.
State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi recently completed a six-day visit to China to attend the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is Xi’s signature foreign policy project. Unveiled in 2013, it is also known as the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road.
The project aims to build a network of roads, railroads and shipping lanes linking at least 70 countries from China to Europe passing through Central Asia, the Middle East and Russia, fostering trade and investment..."
Source/publisher:
"Belt & Road News" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-05-02
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-21
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Other Special Economic Zones, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"Myanmar held its first ever international investment summit late last month in Naypyitaw. The two-day event showcased 120 projects worth US$3 billion (about 4.5 trillion kyats) in 10 states and regions.
On the second day of the event, Investment and Foreign Economic Relations Minister U Thaung Tun hosted a dialogue for international guests, offering them reasons why they should invest in Southeast Asia’s “Final Best Frontier.” The government is looking for ways to revive the economy, which has been sluggish for more than two years.
“Myanmar is now open for businesses. We are making the necessary changes,” U Thaung Tun said.
A weakening currency, high inflation, armed conflict, unstable policies and the slow pace of reform have chipped away at growth under the current administration, which had hoped the economy would take wing after more than five decades of isolation under military rule.
Under the government’s “Look East” policy, officials have toured Asia beating the drum for the country’s economy. The summit was part of this attempt to raise investment from East Asian countries. More than 1,600 local and foreign delegates from 17 countries attended the summit and 40 companies exhibited. The top countries were China, Japan, Singapore and Thailand..."
Source/publisher:
"Belt & Road News" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-02-02
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-21
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Other Special Economic Zones, Chinese investment, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"Ethnic Kachin leaders from three political parties in Myanmar’s northernmost state have met with China’s ambassador to the country to discuss the faltering peace process in which the Myanmar government is trying to get its military and nearly a dozen ethnic armies to agree to a permanent cease-fire, a party representative said Monday.
They also discussed China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a controversial Chinese-backed mega-dam project, and Chinese laborers working illegally in Kachin state, said G. Aung Khan, chairman of the Kachin Democratic Party (KDP), who participated in the meeting.
Ambassador Hong Liang met with the party heads on Dec. 29 in Kachin capital Myitkyina after the same Kachin leaders met with Dan Chugg, the UK’s ambassador to Myanmar, and Scot Marciel, the U.S. ambassador to Myanmar, he said.
“Hong Liang had said it is a good time to work on the peace process,” he said. “It seems China can handle Myanmar’s peace process, but we want other countries to be involved.”
G. Aung Khan also said that China’s involvement in Myanmar’s peace process, a key project of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian-led government, is based on its own self-interest in mega-projects tied to its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinese President Xi Jinping’s U.S. $1 trillion global infrastructure-spending program..."
Source/publisher:
"Belt & Road News" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-01-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-21
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Kachin State, “One Belt, One Road” initiative, Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies), Burma's economic relations with China, Other Special Economic Zones, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"When Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi heads to Beijing at the end of April to attend China’s Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, she will be caught between Chinese leaders’ strong desire to complete a controversial dam project and growing public opposition to the dam amid wider suspicion about other Chinese initiatives, Myanmar political analysts said Monday.
The fate of the Myitsone Dam, a U.S. $3.6 billion Chinese-backed hydropower project on the Irrawaddy River in Kachin state that was put on hold in 2011 amid heavy public opposition, is at the top of the list of issues to be discussed between Myanmar and Chinese leaders at the second forum, they said.
“We see that Myitsone Dam project is now under the Belt and Road Initiative [BRI],” said Myanmar economist Zeyya Thu, referring to the massive infrastructure initiative that China’s President Xi Jinping has made the center-piece of his foreign policy..."
Source/publisher:
"Belt & Road News" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-04-03
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-21
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"Every Morning, a pack of Burmese vendors gather their wares and approach the fence separating Muse, a border town in Myanmar’s Northern Shan State, from China’s Yunnan Province.
Sheltered by Palm Trees, they slip snacks, herbal medicine and boxes of cigarettes through small holes in the fence not much larger than milk cartons as Chinese border guards lazily observe the fracas.
If an item is too large, they wait patiently until nobody’s watching and toss it over the border.
Footsteps away, packed jade markets bustle as travelling buyers scrupulously examine the wares with magnifying glasses and consult with partners on WeChat video calls before breaking out into rapid-fire rounds of negotiation.
Trade is the beating heart of Ruili, the notorious final frontier of Yunnan as it meets Myanmar.
Once famous for sex, drugs, and gambling, the city is hard at work burying its seedier side under a meteoric spree of development.
While illicit KTVs and “massage parlours” still line the border fence, and shadier cross-border entrepreneurs deal in illegal timber and human trafficking, the two countries are preparing to make the area into a hub for China’s Belt & Road Initiative..."
Source/publisher:
"Belt & Road News" (China)
Date of publication:
2019-09-12
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-21
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Other Special Economic Zones, Chinese investment, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Topic:
Belt and Road Initiative, China, Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, Special Economic Zone
Topic:
Belt and Road Initiative, China, Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, Special Economic Zone
Description:
"Ever since the National League for Democracy (NLD) was elected to government at the end of 2015, Myanmar’s economy has been opening up and quietly growing steadily.
In an effort to open up its economy, the government in Myanmar has taken various steps in making the country more attractive to investors. Last year, Myanmar enacted an investment law that simplifies the investment process and allows the government to use incentives to bring in investors to various sectors of the economy.
For Myanmar, foreign direct investments (FDI) play a major role in developing the economy. In 2016 to early 2017, Myanmar received about US$6 billion in FDIs. However, foreign investment for the past couple of years has dipped.
To help boost FDI in the country, Myanmar enacted the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) law to pave the way for SEZs to be established in the country. The three SEZs which are currently under development are Thilawa, Dawei and Kyaukphyu.
The Thilawa SEZ, located 25 kilometres south of Yangon, is Myanmar’s first modern industrial park. To date, only the Thilawa SEZ is open, with the rest still under development. The opening of Thilawa has been a success with total FDI in Zone A of the SEZ reaching up to US$1 billion with 95 percent occupancy. 79 firms have also decided to open up their factories or logistics hubs in this SEZ..."
Source/publisher:
"The ASEAN Post"
Date of publication:
2018-08-20
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-18
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
“One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, Dawei (Tavoy) Special Economic Zone, Other Special Economic Zones, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Myanmar is set to cooperate with Hong Kong in addition to other countries along China’s Belt and Road Initiative, announced Minister of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations U Thaung Tun during the Fourth Belt and Road Summit 2019 in Hong Kong on Sept
Description:
"The summit was organised by the government of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council to promote business collaboration through the Belt and Road platform. More than 5800 representatives from 69countries attended the event.
“Hong Kong and Myanmar are strategically located along the Belt and Road project. Hong Kong is a major economic entrance to China, a central area for logistics and is also a centre for financial services. On the other hand, Myanmar is a fast-growing country and so will cooperate with Hong Kong and other countries along the Belt and Road project,” U Thaung Tun said.
He said Myanmar’s Sustainable Development Plan will work to include such sectors as investment, finance, logistics, and industry in implementing the Belt and Road Initiative, a global development strategy adopted by the Chinese government involving infrastructure development and investments in 152 countries and international organisations in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas.
“Hong Kong is a strategic location with a lot of potential and will participate in the BRI through cooperation on policies and projects for the BRI by sharing extensive knowledge about the main prospects of Hong Kong, and promotion of Hong Kong’s service industry,” said Chief Executive of Hong Kong Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor..."
Source/publisher:
"Myanmar Times"
Date of publication:
2019-09-17
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-17
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma's economic relations with China, Chinese investment, “One Belt, One Road” initiative, China-Burma relations
Language:
more