Can China-Myanmar Economic Corridor overcome hurdles to progress?

Peng Nian, Global Times

China-Myanmar image from

Excerpt:

Recently, U Aung Naing Oo, director general of the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration of Myanmar, said that Myanmar and China will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on building the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC), one of the key projects of the Belt and Road initiative (BRI). ...

There is no denying these hurdles faced by the CMEC, but I believe that both governments would take measures to mitigate the risks. Beijing has made efforts to push peace talks between the Myanmese government and ethnic armed groups and undertaken public diplomacy [JB emphasis] to reduce anti-Chinese sentiment in the Myanmese society. ...

To conclude, due to the multiple benefits that the CMEC would bring, China and Myanmar should construct it as early as possible. In spite of various barriers, the CMEC would be implemented step by step and see its completion.

The author is an assistant research fellow at National Institute for South China Sea Studies based in Haikou, Hainan.